Key Takeaways
- During the Chicago Sky’s loss to the Golden State Valkyries, a courtside fan was briefly removed over an ultimately unfounded complaint made by DiJonai Carrington.
- She then drew more heat for separate plays where she hit Cecilia Zandalasini in the eye and Tiffany Hayes in the mouth without drawing flagrant fouls.
- Carrington, who did receive a technical for arguing with officials, is already under intense scrutiny after her August 8 Flagrant 2 on Sophie Cunningham and a “WHITE PRIVILEGE” post she says was about broader WNBA officiating inconsistencies rather than that specific ejection.
DiJonai Carrington’s turbulent week continued on Wednesday, August 12, as the WNBA guard briefly had a courtside fan removed before making contact with two Golden State Valkyries players above the shoulders. Carrington also received a technical foul for arguing with an official during Chicago’s 91-71 loss—four days after her Flagrant 2 ejection against Sophie Cunningham ignited a league-wide debate.
The fan incident unfolded with 8:47 remaining at Chase Center. Carrington approached referee Sarah Williams and pointed toward a man seated courtside, prompting Sky and arena security to escort him away. The spectator later returned after officials reviewed the complaint.
“The fan was cooperative after a complaint that was unfounded,” a Valkyries representative said, per Sports Illustrated. Carrington’s specific allegation was not disclosed, and broadcast footage did not establish what the fan may have said or done.
Carrington’s night was already drawing scrutiny on the court. While defending Cecilia Zandalasini on the perimeter, she caught the Golden State forward in the eye while reaching for the ball. Carrington later struck Tiffany Hayes in the mouth while contesting a layup.
Officials did not upgrade either play to a flagrant or issue a technical for the contact. Her second technical of the season instead came during the third quarter after she argued with a referee.
The renewed attention stems from Carrington’s August 8 collision with Cunningham. Carrington struck the Indiana Fever guard across the face while contesting a layup, leaving Cunningham with a bloody mouth.
Boomer Esiason subsequently called the post “stupid” and suggested the foul looked targeted. Carrington denied both that allegation and the assumption that her message referred specifically to the ejection.
“I’ve never once claimed that the assessment of the foul was white privilege,” Carrington wrote. She later said her concerns involved broader inconsistencies in WNBA officiating and that she had raised them with the league.
