DiJonai Carrington sparked intense online debate even before the Indiana Fever’s 90-86 victory over the Chicago Sky on Saturday. Her “WHITE PRIVILEGE” post on Threads divided opinions immediately after she retreated to the locker room following her first-quarter ejection.
The controversy began when Carrington chased Sophie Cunningham down on a fast break, striking her across the head and neck and sending her to the floor. Officials reviewed the play and upgraded it to a flagrant-2, resulting in an automatic ejection under WNBA rules. However, when Cunningham shoved Carrington in frustration immediately after rising, officials did not issue a technical. That decision escalated the debate, with critics arguing that Carrington bore all the consequences while Cunningham walked free.
Since then, Carrington’s race-related commentary has become a central topic of discourse, with former NBA player Terrence Ross weighing in on Instagram. Ross, the 35-year-old former eighth overall pick of the Toronto Raptors in the 2012 NBA draft, played 11 seasons across three franchises before retiring in 2023. Known for winning the 2013 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Ross expressed that witnessing this level of racial tension in the WNBA was a completely new experience for him.
Ross also blamed the league’s current race drama on the arrival of Caitlin Clark and the behavior of rival fan bases. When fans challenged his perspective in the replies, Ross responded to one critic: “You Don’t Like Me Cause I’m Black.”
While observers continue to debate how the game has evolved since his retirement, Ross indicated he dislikes how the ejection turned into a narrative about race rather than the game itself. For a veteran who played for the Raptors, Magic, and Suns, this specific intersection of social media commentary and on-court officiating represents a shift in the sports landscape he finds difficult to navigate.
He won the 2013 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, becoming only the second Raptor to win it after Vince Carter in 2000.
