Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington faced an ejection during Saturday’s 90-86 loss against the Indiana Fever at the United Center. The incident stemmed from a hard foul on Sophie Cunningham, occurring with two minutes left in the first quarter. Carrington, chasing Cunningham down from behind on a breakaway layup, failed to make contact with the ball, instead catching Cunningham in the face with her forearm and knocking her to the ground.
After the play, Cunningham was restrained by teammate Makayla Timpson while exchanging words with Carrington. The referees promptly assessed a flagrant foul to Carrington. Upon reviewing the foul, it was upgraded to a Flagrant 2, leading to her ejection from the game. Despite Cunningham making contact with Carrington during the scuffle, she did not receive a technical foul. Cunningham capitalized on the situation by making the flagrant free throw, and the game progressed normally.
Cunningham ended the match with three points in 28 minutes, whereas Carrington had contributed eight points in less than four minutes before her ejection. In the aftermath, Carrington took to social media, posting on Threads from the locker room with the phrase “white privilege” in all capital letters, tagging the Indiana Fever’s official account. She later posted on X, previously known as Twitter, mentioning the upcoming game on Aug. 23. Coach Tyler Marsh was unaware of these posts immediately after the match.
Cunningham has recently been vocal about the inclusion of transgender athletes in sports, drawing headlines. Before Saturday’s game, neither Marsh nor veteran guard Rachel Banham linked Carrington’s foul or the subsequent dispute to off-the-court matters. “We’re fighting for our lives to try to make the playoffs,” Marsh explained, highlighting Carrington’s passion as characteristic of the team’s players. The team entered the game with consistent motivation since the All-Star break, focusing on player safety without ill intentions.
The competitive nature of the WNBA’s “Rivals Week” was evident throughout the game. Fever guard Caitlin Clark and head coach Stephanie White received technical fouls in the third quarter, allowing the Sky to narrow the Fever’s lead to five points. Clark’s technical foul was later rescinded upon review, preventing her eighth of the season from triggering an automatic one-game suspension. Sky guard Natasha Cloud incurred a technical for bench-related foul controversy in the fourth quarter.
Despite overcoming several double-digit deficits, the Sky managed to close in during the clutch but couldn’t secure a win, marking their eighth consecutive defeat to the Fever. Drawing a crowd of 16,065 fans, the game was part of the fourth scheduled regular-season event held at the United Center to attract larger audiences. The Sky remain winless at 0-4 during these episodes.