Things became heated on the court, but the real fireworks started after the final whistle. Following Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington’s ejection after an in-game incident with Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham, she made a controversial remark on social media that prompted former NFL player Breiden Fehoko to step in, without holding back.

“This is a prime example of why we can’t ever move forward as a country,” Fehoko wrote on X. “For every person who liked this bullsh*t and is encouraging this victim-a** mentality, you should be ashamed. It’s honestly sad how far we’ve drifted as a country.”

The incident took place on Saturday, August 8, when the Chicago Sky faced the Indiana Fever at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. With about two minutes left in the first quarter, Fever guard Sophie Cunningham caught a pass on a fast break and drove toward the basket for a transition layup. That is when Carrington trailed closely behind Cunningham.

As Cunningham elevated, Carrington attempted to swipe at the ball but ended up swinging her left forearm directly into Cunningham’s face and neck, sending her crashing hard onto the floor. The ball went in, and Cunningham popped right back up. Furious, she confronted Carrington immediately, and the two players grabbed onto each other and exchanged heated words.

Game officials initially assessed the play as a Flagrant 1 foul. However, head referee Maj Forsberg initiated a video replay review, which showed clear windup, impact to the head/neck area, and a distinct follow-through on a vulnerable player.

Per WNBA rules, the foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 2, triggering an automatic ejection. Carrington left the court after playing just three minutes. After walking into the locker room, Carrington took to the social media platform Threads and posted a two-word message: “WHITE PRIVILEGE”, tagging the Indiana Fever.

Breiden Fehoko deemed Carrington’s social media outburst unnecessary as the former NFL nose tackle questioned the Sky player’s intent behind it. However, Carrington did not elaborate on whether her accusation targeted the referees’ decision, Cunningham, or the organization as a whole. Yet, the backlash followed.

Like Fehoko, former NFL player Emmanuel Acho also voiced his opinion. According to him, DiJonai Carrington should not have used that term to express her displeasure over the ejection.

“Judge for yourself, but color didn’t have nothing to do with the flagrant 2. IMO,” Acho wrote on X.

Meanwhile, Sophie Cunningham also shared a similar perspective on the matter.

“I think the league is taking care of that,” Cunningham said as per ESPN’s Kareen Copeland. “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.”

During a matchup against the Connecticut Sun last year, Sophie Cunningham, then playing for the Phoenix Mercury, faced a similar situation. As the then-Sun guard Jacy Sheldon went up for a layup, Cunningham committed a Flagrant 2 foul by wrapping her arms around Sheldon

Following a video review, officials ejected Cunningham from the game. She had no objection to that. Likewise, the Fever star wants Carrington to take accountability instead of turning it into a controversy.