DiJonai Carrington breaks silence on controversial Sophie Cunningham foul

DiJonai Carrington is not apologizing for trying to prevent an easy basket. She does, however, regret how her attempt to stop Sophie Cunningham unfolded. The Chicago Sky guard addressed the controversial play that resulted in her ejection from Saturday’s 90-86 loss to the Indiana Fever. Carrington maintained that she was making a defensive play she has attempted throughout her WNBA career and never intended to injure Cunningham.

“I’m never gonna let an open layup just be had,” Carrington said. “You can pull clips from however many seasons of me making that same exact play. It was unfortunate that I made contact with her in the way that I did, but it was never intentional.”

Officials reviewed the contact and upgraded Carrington’s foul to a Flagrant 2, which carried an automatic ejection. The decision removed one of Chicago’s most productive players from a competitive game and immediately ignited another heated debate surrounding physical play in the WNBA.

Carrington explains what went wrong

Carrington’s comments drew a clear line between her intent and the result of the play. The six-year veteran did not dispute that she made significant contact with Cunningham. Instead, she explained that her objective was to prevent an uncontested layup, not deliver a dangerous hit.

Carrington had come across the lane as Cunningham attacked the basket. Her attempt to contest the shot resulted in contact around Cunningham’s head and neck area, prompting officials to review the play. The Flagrant 2 classification meant referees determined the contact was unnecessary and excessive. Intent, however, is not required for officials to issue that ruling.

Carrington acknowledged that the location and severity of the contact were unfortunate, but she rejected the suggestion that she deliberately attempted to hurt Cunningham. Her defense of the play was also rooted in her reputation. Carrington has built her career on physical perimeter defense and an unwillingness to concede easy scoring opportunities. That aggressive approach has made her an impactful defender, though it can occasionally lead to moments such as the one against Indiana.

Ejection changed Sky-Fever matchup

The timing of Carrington’s departure made the ruling especially costly for Chicago. She scored eight points during the first quarter and provided an early spark before being removed. Without her, the Sky continued to challenge Indiana but could not complete their comeback.

The Fever eventually escaped with a 90-86 victory after holding off multiple Chicago runs.

Carrington’s ejection became the defining moment of another intense meeting between the two teams. Cunningham has developed a reputation as one of Indiana’s most physical and confrontational players, while Carrington has never backed away from contact on the defensive end.

Their collision placed both players in the center of a discussion that continued well after the final buzzer.

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Sky guard avoids additional absence

The Flagrant 2 ended Carrington’s night, but it did not prevent her from being available for Chicago’s next game against the Seattle Storm. Carrington was expected to come off the bench as the Sky continued to manage her return from injury. She is averaging 9.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.4 assists during her first season in Chicago.

The veteran joined the Sky after beginning her career with the Connecticut Sun and splitting the 2025 season between the Dallas Wings and Minnesota Lynx. Chicago entered the Seattle matchup with a 12-20 record and sitting 11th in the WNBA standings. The Sky remain in pursuit of their first playoff appearance since 2023, making Carrington’s availability important during the closing stretch of the season.

Her explanation will not end the disagreement over whether the contact warranted an ejection. It does, however, provide her perspective on the moment. Carrington wanted to stop Cunningham from getting a free path to the basket. She admitted the resulting contact was unfortunate, but her message was equally direct: It was a basketball play that went wrong, not an intentional attempt to cause harm.

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