Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington keeps finding herself in the middle of physical plays that leave opponents with marks on their faces.
Just days after a hard foul that left Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham bleeding from the mouth, Carrington made contact with two more players above the neck during Wednesday’s loss to the Golden State Valkyries.
Sophie Cunningham Flagrant 2 and social media firestorm
Last week, DiJonai Carrington committed a Flagrant 2 foul on Sophie Cunningham during a layup attempt. The contact was judged severe enough for an ejection. Shortly after leaving the floor, Carrington posted the words “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on her Instagram Threads account. Many readers took the post as a claim that race influenced the officials’ decision.
The WNBA has not issued any public statement or additional discipline. Carrington later clarified her position on X. “I’ve never once claimed that the assessment of the foul was white privilege (that was your assumption),” she wrote. “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.”
Two more face hits against Golden State Valkyries
Four days later, the Chicago Sky faced the Golden State Valkyries and fell 91-71. DiJonai Carrington was again involved in plays that ended with hands near opponents’ faces.
While defending Cecilia Zandalasini on the perimeter, Carrington swiped at the ball with her right hand. Her left hand stayed high and caught Zandalasini near the eye. The motion looked awkward because the left hand had almost no chance of reaching the basketball without first going through the defender’s face.
Later, as Tiffany Hayes rose for a layup, Carrington jumped with her and brought an arm down. The ball stayed untouched. Hayes took the contact square in the mouth.
Neither play drew a flagrant or technical foul. Carrington did receive a technical later in the third quarter for arguing with a referee. It was her second technical of the season.
DiJonai Carrington’s long-standing defense of her style
The recent string of face contact has revived an old argument about whether DiJonai Carrington plays dirty. She has rejected that label for years.
In three games spanning four days, she has now made contact with the faces of Sophie Cunningham, Cecilia Zandalasini and Tiffany Hayes. Officials have only ejected her once. The league office has stayed quiet on both the original Flagrant 2 and the social-media post that followed.
Carrington finished Wednesday’s game with three points on 1-of-9 shooting in 24 minutes. The Sky continue their season while the conversation around her physical style shows no sign of fading.