Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy has strongly criticized ESPN's handling of the fallout from a flagrant foul committed by WNBA player DiJonai Carrington on Sophie Cunningham. Portnoy alleged on FS1's "Wake Up Barstool" that the network failed to adequately report on Carrington's subsequent social media post, which he characterized as "insane."
According to Portnoy, after being ejected from the Indiana Fever's 90-86 victory over the Chicago Sky on Saturday, Carrington posted "white privilege" on Threads. Portnoy argued that this comment, rather than the foul itself, was the central aspect of the story, but claimed ESPN's coverage omitted this detail. He stated that ESPN panels discussing the incident focused on the foul's call and whether Carrington is a dirty player, while allegedly ignoring her "white privilege" comment.
"They don’t even mention the fact that she said ‘white privilege.’ That is the story," Portnoy said. "The story isn’t that she got kicked out. It’s that she tweeted out ‘white privilege’ because Sophie Cunningham is white and that’s somehow how she got kicked out."
Portnoy further contended that discussions surrounding the incident, by not highlighting Carrington's comment, risked turning the event into a "race and culture war." He also characterized Carrington as "one of the dirtiest players in the WNBA," citing instances of alleged aggressive play, including scratching and hitting opponents. He referenced a specific play where he claimed Carrington scratched "Caitlin Clark’s eyes out."
Additionally, Portnoy expressed dissatisfaction with Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White's defense of Carrington, who is a former player of White's from the Connecticut Sun. Portnoy called for White's dismissal, stating, "Defend your players or get lost."
Carrington's flagrant 2 foul resulted in her ejection from the game. The Indiana Fever currently hold a 20-12 record and are positioned fourth in the league standings, aiming for their third consecutive postseason appearance.