Former Indiana Fever player Sydney Colson appeared to endorse a flagrant foul committed by Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington on her ex-teammate Sophie Cunningham. The incident occurred during a recent WNBA game where Carrington received a Flagrant 2 foul and was ejected for a hard hit on Cunningham.
Colson, who played alongside Cunningham during the 2025 WNBA season, posted on Instagram, "I love a trans foul." This comment has been interpreted as a play on words, referencing both the aggressive nature of the foul and Cunningham's recent public statements regarding transgender athletes in women's sports.
Cunningham has been vocal about her stance, stating in a July 21 ESPN story that she believes biological men should not compete against biological women in women's sports. She clarified her position, saying she is "here to extend love" but also believes in "truth, being honest" and wants to "protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men." Cunningham described her views as being "very much in the middle," agreeing and disagreeing with aspects on both sides of the debate.
Despite Cunningham's attempt to position herself as moderate, her comments have generated significant discussion and divided opinions within the sports community. The foul itself, which left Cunningham with a bloody mouth, has also drawn commentary. Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White, while acknowledging it was a hard foul, defended Carrington's actions in her postgame press conference. White suggested Carrington did not intentionally target Cunningham's neck and characterized the play as indicative of Carrington's competitive nature.
"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 said, adding, "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."
Colson's social media reaction and White's comments highlight the complex reactions to Cunningham's views and the physical play on the court. Meanwhile, public opinion on the issue of transgender athletes in women's sports remains a significant point of national debate, with a March 2025 New York Times poll indicating that 79% of Americans believe men should be barred from competing in women's sports.