Chicago Sky player DiJonai Carrington was ejected from a game Saturday for a hard foul on Indiana Fever forward Sophie Cunningham. Following the ejection, Carrington posted on social media from the locker room, attributing her removal from the game to "white privilege."
The foul occurred as Cunningham was attempting a layup. Carrington made contact around Cunningham's neck. Video clips of the incident circulated on social media shortly after.
Cunningham has recently been involved in public discussions regarding her statements about female athletes competing against biological males. Carrington has a prior incident involving Caitlin Clark, where she made contact with Clark's eye during a game and subsequently posted about Clark's supposed "white privilege" on social media.
ESPN's broadcast of the game drew criticism for its limited coverage of the foul and Carrington's subsequent post. According to reports, the network showed only one replay of the foul immediately after it occurred and did not address Carrington's social media statement during the halftime show. Another replay was shown later in the second half, used for comparison with a less severe foul.
OutKick, citing a source familiar with ESPN's broadcast plans, reported that while the flagrant foul and ejection were addressed during the game, off-court developments were not planned for discussion later in the broadcast. ESPN did not immediately respond to an inquiry regarding its coverage.
Critics have suggested that ESPN's coverage may have avoided the full story to not complicate a narrative they have promoted, which posits that some WNBA players, like Clark and Cunningham, are allegedly co-opting the league to express animosity toward Black women and lesbians. The reporting from OutKick characterizes Carrington's foul as evidence against this narrative, suggesting instead that jealousy over Clark and Cunningham's popularity might be fueling accusations of racism and white privilege.
Carrington's foul and subsequent statement have ignited debate surrounding player conduct and the media's reporting on incidents within the WNBA.