Sophie Cunningham was on the receiving end of a very painful flagrant foul during Saturday’s game against the Chicago Sky.
In the first quarter at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill., the Indiana Fever star Cunningham picked off a Sky pass and got a breakaway opportunity in transition. As Cunningham went up for the layup, Sky guard DiJonai Carrington caught up to her and smacked Cunningham right in the head and neck area.
Cunningham went crashing hard to the floor and immediately popped back up to confront Carrington. Here is the video of the full sequence.
Sophie Cunningham gets into it with DiJonai Carrington after the hard foul. pic.twitter.com/YhcNRwrnJf
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) August 8, 2026
Upon an official review, Carrington was given a flagrant 2 foul due to the wind-up and the impact. As a result, she was automatically ejected from the game.
The 29-year-old Cunningham has quickly become one of the most well-known names in the WNBA. While Cunningham has never been an All-Star and is only averaging 9.1 points per game this season, she has made headlines for everything from her memeworthy moments and her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photos to (most recently) her outspoken opinions on transgender athletes in sports.
As for Carrington, 28, she is a former All-Defensive First Team selection and won the WNBA’s Most Improved Player Award in 2024. But Carrington is also known for making some questionable plays on the court and once even drew backlash for poking Cunningham’s star teammate Caitlin Clark in the eye during a playoff game.
