Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington has told her critics to do their “research” amid the ongoing furore from her on-court confrontation with Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham and subsequent social media post.
Carrington was ejected from her side’s WNBA defeat for committing a hard foul on Cunningham, and then posted “white privilege” on social media tagging Indiana Fever.
Her actions have been heavily criticised by several American sports analysts, including former NFL star Emmanuel Acho.
On the Speakeasy – Podcast, Acho said: “It was not a race-based decision. To call that a white privilege-based foul is to completely undermine the term of white privilege and to also completely ignore the rules in basketball.
“You hit her in the head. You drew blood. You didn’t connect with the ball at all whatsoever. So to me, it was just very ignorant and, to some degree, asinine by DiJonai Carrington to suggest that that call was based on white privilege.”
However, that has prompted Carrington, 28, to issue a response on social media, external although she is yet to fully explain the meaning of her post in the aftermath of the game.
Writing on X Carrington, said: “I’ve never once claimed that the assessment of the foul was white privilege [that was your assumption].
“Try exercising your critical thinking skills, I know you studied psych.
“Furthermore, I’m the last thing from ignorant or asinine when it comes to speaking on ‘white privilege’, do ya research on that one. I actually went to school, one of the top universities might I add, to educate myself on this exact subject.
“I would never use that term as a rhetorical weapon knowing the historical and social weight it holds without having the proper evidence to substantiate it.”
Asked about the post after her team won 90-86, Cunningham said: “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.”