DiJonai Carrington Denies Calling Flagrant 2 Foul ‘White Privilege’/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ DiJonai Carrington says she never claimed that her Flagrant 2 foul against Sophie Cunningham was assessed because of white privilege. Carrington posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE” after being ejected but later said critics had misinterpreted her message. The WNBA has not announced additional discipline, and Carrington scored a career-high 26 points Monday.
DiJonai Carrington of the Chicago Sky fouls Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever during the first half Aug. 8, 2026, at the United Center in Chicago, Ill.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham reacts to game action against the Portland Fire during the first half at Moda Center in Portland, Ore., on July 31, 2026.
Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington said she never claimed that officials assessed a Flagrant 2 foul against her because of white privilege.
Carrington was ejected from Saturday’s game against the Indiana Fever after striking Sophie Cunningham in the head and neck during a fast-break layup.
Carrington is Black, while Cunningham is white.
After leaving the game, Carrington posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on social media and tagged the Fever, prompting criticism and widespread interpretation that she was referring to the officiating decision.
Carrington said Monday that interpretation was incorrect.
Carrington approached Cunningham from behind as the Fever player attempted a fast-break layup.
She made contact with Cunningham’s head and neck, knocking her to the floor as the shot went through the basket.
Officials reviewed the play and upgraded the initial call to a Flagrant 2 foul.
The referee said the decision was based on the presence of windup, impact and follow-through.
A Flagrant 2 designation results in an automatic ejection because officials judge the contact to be unnecessary and excessive.
Carrington’s post-ejection message generated controversy because she wrote “WHITE PRIVILEGE” and directly tagged Indiana.
Former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho criticized her reaction in a video clip.
She challenged Acho’s interpretation and defended her knowledge of the subject.
Carrington did not explain in the cited posts what specific situation her original “WHITE PRIVILEGE” message was intended to address.
Carrington played four seasons of college basketball at Stanford before completing her college career at Baylor.
While attending Stanford, she majored in psychology and African and African American studies.
She cited that academic background while rejecting the suggestion that she had used the term carelessly or without understanding its historical meaning.
The 28-year-old’s response focused on distinguishing her original post from the conclusion that she was accusing the referees of racial bias in assessing the foul.
The WNBA has not announced whether Carrington will face additional punishment for the contact with Cunningham.
The Flagrant 2 ruling removed her from Saturday’s game, but no suspension or fine had been disclosed.
Carrington returned to action Monday night when Chicago faced the Seattle Storm.
She entered from the bench, played 27 minutes and scored a career-high 26 points.
The Sky lost 97-88.
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