DiJonai Carrington breaks silence on "White privilege" post but leaves target unnamed
CHICAGO, Aug. 11. Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington denied this week that her "WHITE PRIVILEGE @indianafever" Threads post referred to the Flagrant 2 ejection she received Saturday against Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, but offered no explanation of what the post was actually about, leaving the controversy unresolved.
Key takeaways
- DiJonai Carrington denied that her "WHITE PRIVILEGE @indianafever" Threads post referred to her Flagrant 2 ejection against Sophie Cunningham, but did not explain what it was actually about.
- Carrington received a Flagrant 2 ejection late in the first quarter of Saturday's loss at the United Center after jumping and striking Cunningham in the face on a breakaway layup.
- Responding to Emmanuel Acho on X, Carrington said she never claimed the foul assessment was white privilege and would not use the term without proper evidence.
- As of the report, the WNBA had not announced any discipline for Carrington, and her post tagged @indianafever but named no individual.
- This is Carrington's sixth WNBA season and first with Chicago, where she averages 9.8 points and 2.2 rebounds across five games in a depth role.
CHICAGO, Aug. 11. Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington denied this week that her "WHITE PRIVILEGE @indianafever" Threads post referred to the Flagrant 2 ejection she received Saturday against Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, but offered no explanation of what the post was actually about, leaving the controversy unresolved.
Carrington's reply to Acho
Former NFL player Emmanuel Acho said on his "Speakeasy" show that Carrington had no basis to call the foul a matter of white privilege. Carrington replied on X. "I've never once claimed that the assessment of the foul was white privilege (that was your assumption)," she wrote, per the post. She cited her academic record, noting four years at Stanford before a graduate transfer to Baylor, and said she would not use the term without "proper evidence to substantiate it."
The reply narrows the list of possibilities by one and closes nothing else. Fox News Digital reported it asked Carrington's representative what the post referred to and received no response. The post tagged @indianafever but named no individual.
The ejection
Carrington received her Flagrant 2 ejection late in the first quarter of Saturday's loss at the United Center in Chicago. Cunningham had a breakaway layup. Carrington jumped and struck her in the face. Officials reviewed the play and upgraded the call. Cunningham confronted Carrington after getting off the floor before teammates separated them. The WNBA had not announced any discipline for Carrington as of this report.
Cunningham has been at the center of a political debate over biological men competing in women's sports. Supporters of her position held a fourth rally outside Saturday's game at the United Center. Counterprotesters also gathered near the venue.
Carrington's history with the Fever
This is Carrington's sixth WNBA season and her first with Chicago, where she is averaging 9.8 points and 2.2 rebounds across five games in a depth role. Her history with the Fever goes back to 2024, when she was with the Connecticut Sun: she mocked then-rookie Caitlin Clark for what she described as flopping and called Fever supporters "the nastiest fans in the W" after receiving racist abuse online. She also struck Clark in the eye during the 2024 WNBA playoffs. Both players said the contact was accidental, though Carrington drew additional criticism after appearing to joke about the incident during an Instagram Live session. She has also worn an explicit anti-Trump sweatshirt and urged WNBA players to resist Trump administration policies affecting women and the LGBTQ community.