Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White has defended forward DiJonai Carrington following her ejection for a Flagrant 2 foul against the Chicago Sky's Sophie Cunningham. The incident occurred during the first quarter of Saturday's game, which the Fever won 90-86.
Cunningham stated after the game that she believed Carrington's foul, which involved a forearm to the head and neck area, was intentional. "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 ... Yeah, it's intentional," Cunningham said.
However, White offered a different perspective. "Yeah, I mean, look, it was a hard foul. I don't think that DiJonai intentionally came out to get her across the neck like she did. But it did happen and I thought it was the right call," White stated. She further elaborated that while she didn't believe Carrington's actions were deliberate, she supported hard play. "But you know, one of the things about Nay is that she's gonna play her butt off, man. She's gonna compete. Nobody's gonna go walking in for a layup. And so, I don't oppose the hard foul. But I also don't think that she intentionally went for the neck."
White coached Carrington for two seasons with the Connecticut Sun before returning to the Fever, suggesting a familiarity with the player's style.
Following her ejection, Carrington posted "White Privilege" on social media, tagging the Indiana Fever. Cunningham dismissed the notion that race played a role in the foul or ejection, referencing a similar incident where she was ejected and felt it was deserved. White declined to comment on Carrington's social media post.
The differing viewpoints from Cunningham and White highlight a divergence in interpreting the intent behind aggressive plays in professional sports.