WNBA allows DiJonai Carrington to play after striking player

The WNBA remained quiet about DiJonai Carrington's "White privilege" post following her ejection Saturday against the Indiana Fever after she struck Sophie Cunningham in the face. That silence cleared the path for the veteran guard to play Monday night with the Chicago Sky versus the Seattle Storm. The league issued no discipline announcement, leaving her free to step onto the court just 5:21 into the first quarter of that game. A loud roar rose from the Storm crowd at the moment she entered, but nobody knows if fans were reacting to Carrington or celebrating rookie center Awa Fam coming off the bench for Seattle.

The drama started with a final score of 90-86 in favor of the Fever back on Saturday. With about two minutes left in the first quarter, Cunningham sprinted toward the basket for an easy layup. Carrington chased her down to prevent the points. Instead of swatting the ball away, Carrington swung and hit Cunningham hard across the face. The defender fell immediately as referees blew the whistle.

Cunningham was furious. She rose from the floor and confronted Carrington directly. Teammates had to hold her back while she shoved Carrington slightly before officials intervened. An official review later upgraded the foul to a Flagrant 2, resulting in an ejection for Carrington. Seconds later, likely from the locker room, Carrington posted "WHITE PRIVILEGE" on Threads and tagged the Fever team account. She did not explain her reasoning at first, leaving open whether she blamed Cunningham, the officials' decision, or the Fever organization itself. There was no accusation by name against Cunningham, nor any proof linking the foul to transgender athlete debates, a heated topic in the WNBA recently.

On Monday, Carrington responded on X to comments from ex-NFL player and personality Emmanuel Acho, who had criticized her for using that phrase. "I've never once claimed that the assessment of the foul was white privilege (that was your assumption). Try exercising your critical thinking skills, I know you studied psych," she wrote in her reply. She added, "Furthermore, I'm the LAST thing from ignorant or asinine when it comes to speaking on 'white privilege,' do ya research on that one. I actually went to school, one of the top universities might I add, to educate myself on this exact subject. I would never use that term as a rhetorical weapon knowing the historical and social weight it holds without having the proper evidence to substantiate it."

Cunningham sits at the center of a growing political fight over biological men in women's sports. Supporters of her view held a fourth rally outside the Fever road game at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday, while counter-protesters gathered nearby too. Cunningham says she holds no hatred for transgender people but believes protecting girls and women in sports is "common sense." Her stance has drawn heavy backlash, with arguments spilling onto sidewalks around WNBA arenas and continuing online daily.

This is not the first time Carrington has faced controversy involving Fever players. During the 2024 season while with the Connecticut Sun, she mocked rookie Caitlin Clark for what she called flopping. She later labeled Fever fans "the nastiest fans in the W" after receiving racist abuse from online users. The tension escalated during the 2024 WNBA Playoffs when Carrington struck Clark in the eye while defending a pass, leaving the rookie with a black eye.

Both athletes insisted the collision was accidental, yet Carrington faced fresh backlash after making light of the whole mess on an Instagram Live stream. She has stood by her aggressive style before too, arguing she fights for every ball even if opponents call it dirty play. That intensity hasn't stopped her from sparking wider debates off the court either. Last season she wore a sweatshirt shouting out against President Donald Trump and pushed fellow WNBA stars to push back on administration rules targeting women and LGBTQ folks. Now in her sixth pro year, Carrington is wearing the Sky uniform for the first time. She sits deep on the roster right now, posting 9.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game over five contests. Jackson Thompson and Matthew Reigle from Fox News put together this story. You can track more sports beats by checking out Fox News Digital's updates on X or signing up for the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.