The WNBA world has been divided over Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington‘s hard foul on Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, which led to Carrington’s ejection after officials upgraded the foul to a flagrant two.
Some circles argued that Carrington was going for the ball without malicious intent, given her success at chasing down blocks in transition. However, a college football sportswriter offered a different view of the contact.
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Sportswriter Slams WNBA Media For Defending DiJonai Carrington’s Flagrant Foul 2 Against Sophie Cunningham
College football reporter Scott Dochterman replied to a portion of Sunday’s WNBA Countdown episode that was posted on social media, in which Andraya Carter appeared to be defending Carrington over Carrington’s hit on Cunningham.
Carter told her fellow WNBA Countdown Crew hosts Malika Andrews, Monica McNutt, and Chiney Ogwumike that Carrington appeared to be trying to block Cunningham’s shot in transition when she hit the Fever guard.
She even showed plays in which the veteran guard successfully chased down fast breaks. Carter felt that the Chicago Sky guard was trying to stop Cunningham from scoring and did not make contact on purpose.
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Dochterman felt that the prominent broadcasters’ attempts to cover up Carrington’s act were “exhausting” and used his football expertise to support his point.
“The constant gaslighting and gatekeeping by the WNBA mafia is exhausting,” Dochterman wrote. “Imagine this excuse in football. ‘The safety doesn’t mean to constantly hit vulnerable wide receivers helmets to helmet because some of the time, he times it just right and legally dislodges the ball.'”
The flagrant foul 2 on Carrington affected the Sky guard’s strong offensive effort, as she had 8 points and 1 rebound in 4 minutes before the contact with Cunningham.
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After her ejection, Carrington added fuel to the fire by posting “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on social media and tagging the Indiana Fever in the post.
Cunningham, who is embroiled in another controversy over her stance against transgender athletes playing in the WNBA, addressed her fellow player’s post, insisting that this has nothing to do with race and that the contact was uncalled for.
“I think the league is taking care of that. This has nothing to do with race. Last year, I did the same thing and I got kicked out, and I deserved to be kicked out. There’s no reason even to play that card,” the Fever guard told the media.
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Referee Maj Forsberg, meanwhile, addressed the officials’ decision not to issue a harsh penalty to Cunningham, saying that her reaction to the contact was “acceptable.”
Reacting to Carrington’s post, Sky coach Tyler Marsh said the team will address the issue after they speak with the guard.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
