Sky’s Carrington Takes Court Against Storm as WNBA Withholds Discipline Following Flagrant Ejection

Guard DiJonai Carrington suited up for the Chicago Sky’s Monday night matchup against the Seattle Storm, marking her return just 48 hours after being sent off during Saturday’s contest with the Indiana Fever. The WNBA had not announced any supplemental discipline against Carrington following her ejection on a Flagrant 2 foul, clearing the way for her participation in the Seattle game. Carrington entered the game with 5:21 remaining in the opening quarter as the Storm crowd produced an audible reaction, though it remained unclear whether the noise was directed at her or rookie center Awa Fam’s entry for Seattle.

The incident occurred with approximately two minutes left in the first quarter of Saturday’s 90-86 Fever victory. As Sophie Cunningham executed a breakaway layup attempt, Carrington pursued defensively but made contact with Cunningham’s face rather than the basketball, forcing her to the floor. Officials immediately assessed a Flagrant 2 upon review, resulting in Carrington’s ejection from the game.

Shortly after her removal, Carrington posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on Threads while tagging the Fever’s account, without elaborating on the specific subject of her criticism. The post sparked immediate speculation about whether she was addressing Cunningham personally, the officiating decision, or the Fever organization itself. No evidence connected the incident to Cunningham’s recent public statements on transgender participation in women’s sports, a contentious issue within the WNBA in recent weeks.

On Monday, Carrington responded to former NFL player Emmanuel Acho’s criticism on X, clarifying that she had not labeled the foul assessment itself as reflective of white privilege. “I’ve never once claimed that the assessment of the foul was white privilege (that was your assumption),” Carrington wrote. She defended her use of the term, noting she earned her degree from a top-tier university specifically studying the subject and would not deploy it without substantial evidence.

Cunningham has emerged as a focal point in an escalating national debate regarding biological sex in women’s athletics. Supporters of her position held a fourth demonstration outside the Fever’s road game at Chicago’s United Center on Saturday, while counter-protesters also gathered at the venue. Cunningham has maintained she harbors no animosity toward transgender individuals but views the protection of girls and women in sports as fundamental policy.

This confrontation represents the latest friction between Carrington and Fever players. During the 2024 season with the Connecticut Sun, Carrington criticized then-rookie Caitlin Clark’s play and subsequently struck Clark in the eye during playoff action, an incident both players characterized as unintentional. Carrington has previously defended her aggressive defensive approach as legitimate basketball strategy centered on making plays on the ball.

Carrington is competing in her sixth WNBA season, her first with Chicago. She is averaging 9.8 points and 2.2 rebounds through five games in a reserve role for the Sky.