Overview
- Officials upgraded a Flagrant 1 to a Flagrant 2 on the play that knocked Sophie Cunningham to the floor, triggering DiJonai Carrington’s ejection after a post-review ruling the contact was unnecessary and had a high potential for injury.
- Carrington posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE” tagging the Indiana Fever from the locker room shortly after the ejection, then set her Threads account to private as fans reacted strongly to the message.
- Cunningham said the incident was not about race and that she expected the league to address it, while Fever coach Stephanie White called the hit a hard foul but said she did not believe Carrington intentionally targeted Cunningham’s neck.
- The episode, which played out on Saturday during a nationally televised game, follows sustained off-court protests tied to Cunningham’s public stance on transgender participation and adds to scrutiny of officiating and player conduct.
- The WNBA’s reviews could lead to discipline for on-court action or social-media conduct, and the incident increases scrutiny on how the league enforces safety rules and manages heated rivalries and public commentary.