Fever’s Sophie Cunningham takes hit to face, Sky’s DiJonai Carrington ejected for flagrant foul

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CHICAGO — The ongoing Sophie Cunningham saga has another chapter.

The Indiana Fever guard took a hard shot to the face from Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington during the first quarter Saturday at the United Center, which earned Carrington a Flagrant 2 foul and an ejection.

After an errant pass from the Sky’s Elizabeth Williams, the Fever’s Monique Billings collected the loose ball and threw ahead to a streaking Cunningham. On the shot attempt, Carrington’s left arm connected with Cunningham’s head and jaw, sending her to the floor.

The foul by DiJonai Carrington on Sophie Cunningham that resulted in a Flagrant 2 and ejection.


(via @ESPN) pic.twitter.com/Z27J934irshttps://t.co/GAMYI5V151


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Cunningham immediately popped up, and teammate Makayla Timpson had to separate her from Carrington. After a review, officials upgraded the common foul to a Flagrant 2 and sent Carrington to the locker room. On her way through the tunnel, Carrington grinned and shook her head as Sky fans gave her an ovation.

Cunningham, an eighth-year veteran reserve, has been in the spotlight since ESPN quoted her in a July 21 story saying she wants to “protect young girls in a locker room” and that “they shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”

The ensuing uproar has included demonstrations and counter-demonstrations outside of Fever games, a trend that continued Saturday near the United Center on Chicago’s West Side. In addition, Cunningham has been booed by crowds in Portland and Minneapolis, and Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve wore a T-shirt declaring “Trans kids belong” during her team’s game against the Fever on Aug. 2.

On Friday, the Women’s National Basketball Players Association denounced “hate, abuse, and demonization” of the transgender community in a statement that did not reference Cunningham.

Against the Sky, Cunningham checked into the game at the 6:13 mark of the first quarter to a strong but mixed reaction of boos and cheers. After the dust-up with Carrington and the Sky guard’s ejection, the United Center scoreboard showed a fan with a t-shirt supporting transgender rights before quickly cutting away to another attendee.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Chicago Sky, Indiana Fever, WNBA

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