Sophie Cunningham hit back at DiJonai Carrington after the Chicago Sky guard appeared to imply the Indiana Fever player had benefited from “white privilege” following Saturday’s heated on-court confrontation.
Carrington was thrown out of the Sky’s matchup with the Fever after a hard foul left Cunningham bleeding and sprawled on the court.
The incident came late in the first quarter, when Cunningham attacked the basket and was caught in the face by Carrington’s arm as she drove through traffic.
Officials reviewed the play and assessed Carrington a flagrant 2, resulting in an automatic ejection. As she made her way to the locker room, Cunningham and teammate Caitlin Clark were both seen waving in her direction.
Carrington later posted on social media, “WHITE PRIVILEGE @indianafever.” But after Indiana’s 90-86 victory, Cunningham brushed off the remark and accused her opponent of “playing” the race “card.”
‘I think the league is taking care of that. This has nothing to do with race,’ she told ESPN. ‘Last year, I did the same thing and I got kicked out. And I deserved to be kicked out. There’s no reason even to play that card.’
Sophie Cunningham reacted angrily after a hard foul sent her crashing to the floor.
Cunningham was driving toward the rim when DiJonai Carrington’s arm caught her in the face.
The Indiana Fever guard was left bloodied after the collision, sparking a tense exchange on the court.
Carrington, who was ejected, later wrote on social media: ‘WHITE PRIVILEGE @indianafever’
The Daily Mail has contacted the WNBA for comment.
On the incident, Cunningham added: ‘Clearly, I think it was like unnecessary. I’ve never really spoken to her and have no beef with her, but I guess she has some pent up stuff. So get your s*** off. That’s fine. I can take it.’
Cunningham suggested Carrington was simply ‘craving’ attention. ‘I do think when people play the Fever, we’re nationally televised, there’s a lot of eyes on us and people just want attention. And that’s her just trying to get attention,’ she continued.
‘I don’t even know her. She wasn’t even on the team last year when all that was going on… it’s intentional. She wasn’t even on the team. She has no reason to be doing any of that. So, good way to get her kicked out.’
Following the foul, Cunningham immediately climbed to her feet and attempted to confront Carrington, only for teammates and staff to drag her away.
Footage from courtside appeared to show Cunningham calling her rival a ‘dumb a** b****’ and shouting: ‘Why the f*** would you do that?’
After the game, however, Cunningham insisted: ‘I wasn’t even upset… I popped up. I’m not going to let anyone just do that to me. I think everyone knows that. I think that’s why she did it because she wants attention.
‘I mean, s***, people have started craving attention. Like, go get it somewhere else. Go do something good in the world.’
Cunningham and Caitlin Clark were seen waving as Carrington headed to the locker room
Carrington was ejected after officials reviewed the foul and upgraded it to a flagrant 2
Cunningham has been at the center of a sporting and political firestorm in recent weeks after comments she made about transgender athletes.
The Indiana Fever star said she wants to ‘protect young girls’ from ‘biological men,’ sparking demonstrations but also support from the likes of JD Vance.
It is not the first time that Carrington has been embroiled in a controversy involving one of the league’s biggest stars, either.
Back in 2024, while playing for the Connecticut Sun, she left Clark with a black eye after poking the Fever guard in the face.
No foul was called and Clark insisted the eye poke ‘wasn’t intentional,’ while Carrington later appeared to mock the incident by staging a dramatic recreation in a social media stream.
