Black WNBA player blames 'white privilege' after getting ejected for flagrant foul on Sophie Cunningham
A black WNBA player blamed "white privilege" after she was tossed out of a very physical match between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky over a flagrant foul.
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DiJonai Carrington aggressively took down the Fever's Sophie Cunningham as Cunningham drove to the basket for a layup at the start of Saturday's game, leading to an angry response from Cunningham.
'I’m not going to let anyone just do that to me. I think everyone knows that. I think that’s why she did it because she wants attention.'
Carrington was ejected from the game and then potentially worsened the situation for the league by posting "WHITE PRIVILEGE" on social media afterward.
Cunningham was far less divisive in her response following the game.
"Clearly I think it was unnecessary," she said. "I’ve never really spoken to her, and I have no beef with her, but I guess she has some pent-up stuff."
She also explained why she charged at Carrington after the attack, in which Carrington swiped at Cunningham's head while Cunningham was in the air and knocked the Fever player to the floor.
"I popped up," Cunningham said. "I’m not going to let anyone just do that to me. I think everyone knows that. I think that’s why she did it because she wants attention."
Sports Illustrated writer Grant Young called Carrington's "white privilege" post "dangerous" and "asinine" in an opinion column calling on the league to suspend the Sky player.
"Frankly, it's not only immature but dangerous for Carrington to imply that race played any role on her getting a Flagrant 2 and ejected from Saturday's game," Young wrote.
"Any player in the league would have been ejected for the shot she landed on Cunningham, and players have certainly been ejected for less," he added. "For Carrington to try to turn it into a race thing is asinine, especially because she's trying to make an exchange that she started bigger than basketball in a hostile and polarizing way."
RELATED: WNBA team co-owner FINED and SUSPENDED for cursing out teen fans of Sophie Cunningham at game
Carrington also posted on social media a laughing emoji with the date of the next time her team plays the Fever.
The Fever went on to beat the Sky by a score of 90 to 86.
Both Cunningham and Fever teammate Caitlin Clark have been targeted with harassment and criticism — Cunningham for speaking out against biological men in women's sports, and Clark has been accused by black players and pundits of receiving favoritism.
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