Former NFL players Emmanuel Acho and Breiden Fehoko have publicly disagreed with Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington's assertion of "white privilege" following her ejection from a WNBA game. Carrington was ejected after committing a Flagrant 2 foul on Indiana Fever forward Sophie Cunningham, an action that left Cunningham with a bloody mouth.
Carrington posted "white privilege" on Threads shortly after the incident, implying race played a role in the officials' decision. However, both Acho and Fehoko argued against this interpretation.
"This is a prime example of why we can't ever move forward as a country," Fehoko wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "For every person who liked this bullsh*t and is encouraging this victim-a** mentality, you should be ashamed. It's honestly sad how far we've drifted as a country."
Acho, speaking on his podcast and X, stated that the foul was a clear basketball infraction unrelated to race. "Can we stick to basketball for a moment? She flagrantly hit Sophie Cunningham in the head... the refs made the right call," he said. "Now, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention .. this was not a race-based decision. To call that a white privilege-based foul is to completely undermine the term of white privilege and to also completely ignore the rules in basketball."
He added, "You hit her in the head. You drew blood. You didn't connect with the ball at all whatsoever. So to me, it was just very ignorant and, to some degree, asinine by D.J. Carrington to suggest that that call was based on white privilege."
The incident occurred during a game on August 8, 2026, at the United Center in Chicago. Carrington's hard foul on Cunningham was deemed excessive by the referees, leading to her immediate removal from the game.
Media coverage of Carrington's post has varied, with some outlets reporting on her claim while others have been criticized for either defending her without question or avoiding the topic altogether.
Fehoko and Acho, by addressing the situation directly, have been noted for offering a perspective that separates the on-court action from racial accusations. Both former players maintain that Carrington's ejection was solely based on the nature of the foul committed, aligning with basketball rules rather than any perceived racial bias.