Sophie Cunningham loses cool after DiJonai Carrington altercation

Carrington was assessed a Flagrant 2 after review. She was ejected from the game. Sky’s coach, Tyler Marsh, challenged the call, but it was unsuccessful.

“Clearly I think it was unnecessary,” Cunningham said after the 90-86 win, per the Associated Press’ August 9 report. “I’ve never really spoken to her [Carrington], and I have no beef with her, but I guess she has some pent-up stuff.”

Carrington and the Indiana Fever already have a tense history involving Caitlin Clark. The Sky player, who was then with the Connecticut Sun, came under fire for mocking Clark in 2024.

Cunningham further added that Carrington had ‘intentionally’ fouled her “because she wants attention.”

However, Fever HC Stephanie White later struck down Cunningham’s claim and defended the Sky player.

Stephanie White defends DiJonai Carrington

During the post-game presser, Fever HC Stephanie White defended Carrington against the claims that the foul was intentional. She praised the Sky star’s defensive intensity but believed the Flagrant 2 foul verdict was fair.

“One of the things about Nai is she’s going to play her b*** off, man,” White told reporters on Saturday after the 90-86 win over the Sky. “She’s going to compete. Nobody’s going to 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 had coached Carrington in 2023 & 2024 on the Connecticut Sun team. In 2024, under White, Carrington was selected for the WNBA All-Defensive First Team. She also finished 4th in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.

While Cunningham and her Fever HC have contrasting views on the intentionality of the foul, there is no news about any locker room tension in Indiana.