Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever reacts against the Chicago Sky during the first half at United Center on Aug. 8, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
By Samuel Short August 10, 2026 at 6:52am
Saturday’s game between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever at the United Center saw Fever player Sophie Cunningham get clotheslined to the face in a foul so egregious that the offending player, DiJonai Carrington, was ejected from the game.
The footage is nothing short of outrageous — Cunningham goes for a layup only to get a forearm to the face by Carrington.
Carrington was given a Flagrant 2 for her actions which ESPN explains results in disqualification because of contact with another player that is “unnecessary and excessive.”
Fever head coach Stephanie White had a chance to defend Cunningham when asked about the foul in a post-game interview, but her answer was so excusatory for Carrington that one of Cunningham’s teammates, and a star player in her own right, Caitlin Clark, simply sank her hands into her face, hiding her expression.
Look at @StephanieWhite completely go out of her way to defend DiJonai Carrington after she clotheslined Sophie during that layup.
Even the ABC commentators said it was clearly an intentional Flagrant 2. But Steph is defending the DiJonai because she taught her and AT to do this pic.twitter.com/nxH05NlpVg
— #Caitlin4MVP (@WNBA_Analyst) August 9, 2026
“She’s gonna play her butt off, man. She’s gonna compete. Nobody’s gonna go walking in for a layup and so… I don’t oppose the hard foul, but I also don’t think that she intentionally went for the neck,” White told reporters.
Clark did not seem thrilled with that answer, and Cunningham likely won’t be either, but this is not the first instance of a rift between Cunningham and White.
After a profile by ESPN was published on Cunningham last month in which she defended young female athletes from having to compete against self-proclaimed transgender athletes, White was asked about her view on the matter by reporters.
“I don’t know that I would say that I’m educated enough from a scientific standpoint. I don’t ever believe that exclusion is an answer,” White said in the moment.
“I do think when we think about various levels of sport, various governing bodies of sport, and things that go into that — like I said, I’m not educated enough at the different levels.”
Instead of defending Cunningham and denouncing transgender ideology in sports, she claimed ignorance of basic biology.
Is it really surprising then that she is okay with Cunningham being clobbered?
White is clearly feeling pressure over her player’s remarks.
Cunningham — for having common sense — is taking heat from leftist ideologues.
White does not want the mob after her.
From Clark’s reaction, she knows this isn’t how a coach should address the situation.
To note, White and Carrington have history, with White coaching her on the Connecticut Sun in 2023 and 2024, as the New York Post reported, but that doesn’t mean she should let one of her current players get attacked and downplay the incident.
Carrington herself did not believe she was in the wrong, posting the phrase “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on social media while tagging the Fever after being ejected.
Clark and Cunningham are the reason the WNBA has the viewership it does, but the other players and coaches do not seem grateful for it.
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Sam Short is an Assistant Professor of History with Motlow State Community College in Smyrna, Tennessee. He holds a BA in History from Middle Tennessee State University and an MA in History from University College London. The views expressed in his articles are his own and do not reflect the views or opinions of Motlow State Community College.
