Former teammate reacts to Cunningham’s foul incident
A hard foul during the Indiana Fever’s matchup with the Chicago Sky quickly became one of the game’s biggest talking points. What followed included an ejection, strong reactions from players and coaches, and several social-media responses that added another layer to the controversy.
Former Fever teammate Sydney Colson also weighed in publicly, helping extend the discussion beyond the final score. Here is what happened during the play and how Cunningham, Carrington, their coaches, and Colson responded.
Carrington was ejected after review
Carrington initially remained in the play before officials reviewed the contact involving Cunningham’s head and neck area. After the review, the crew ruled the contact a Flagrant 2, which carries an automatic ejection under WNBA rules.
The decision ended Carrington’s participation in the game during the first quarter. The Sky continued without her as Indiana maintained control and completed the four-point victory.
Cunningham spoke after the game
Cunningham addressed the incident after Indiana’s victory, calling the contact unnecessary and saying she had never really spoken with Carrington and had no personal dispute with her.
Cunningham said she believed the foul was intentional and accused Carrington of seeking attention. Responding to Carrington’s “WHITE PRIVILEGE” post, Cunningham said the incident had nothing to do with race and pointed to her own Flagrant 2 ejection in 2025. Carrington later clarified that she had not claimed the Flagrant 2 ruling itself was the result of white privilege.
Sydney Colson weighed in online
Sydney Colson responded publicly after the incident involving her former Fever teammate. Colson and Cunningham were teammates in Indiana during the 2025 season, and the WNBA currently lists Indiana as Colson’s last WNBA team.
On Threads, Colson wrote, “Love a trans foul,” wording that played off the transition sequence and Cunningham’s recent public comments about transgender participation in women’s sports. The post drew attention because Colson had shared the Fever locker room with Cunningham a season earlier.
White defended Carrington’s intentions
Fever coach Stephanie White initially said the Flagrant 2 ruling was correct while also saying she did not believe Carrington intentionally targeted Cunningham’s neck. White had coached Carrington with the Connecticut Sun during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
White updated her assessment on Aug. 11 after watching replays of the incident. She said she had not seen the play clearly in real time and called the foul “egregious,” while emphasizing that Cunningham’s health and safety were priorities and that she supported her Fever players.
Marsh offered another perspective
Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh said his initial view was that Carrington had made a play on the ball. He said he did not believe the contact warranted a Flagrant 2 when he first saw the play.
Marsh had not reviewed the incident again after the game when discussing his reaction. He said he did not believe there was ill intent from the Sky’s side.
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Carrington posted after the ejection
Shortly after her first-quarter ejection, Carrington posted on social media and tagged the Indiana Fever. Cunningham later said the incident had nothing to do with race and pointed to her own 2025 Flagrant 2 ejection.
Carrington subsequently clarified that she had never claimed the Flagrant 2 assessment itself was the result of white privilege. She also said she had discussed broader concerns about consistency with league officials.
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The game continued after the incident
The Fever did not lose their composure after Carrington’s ejection and entered halftime with a 53-42 advantage. Indiana extended its lead to nine points entering the fourth quarter before Chicago mounted a late push.
The Sky cut the margin to three points with 28 seconds remaining after a Jacy Sheldon three-pointer. Caitlin Clark then made a free throw to help secure Indiana’s 90-86 win.
Mitchell set a scoring record
Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 27 points and established a WNBA single-season record with her 16th consecutive game scoring at least 20 points. She made 11 of 22 field-goal attempts and connected on three three-pointers against Chicago.
Caitlin Clark added 26 points and 11 assists, while Aliyah Boston contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds. The Fever’s offensive production helped them withstand Chicago’s late fourth-quarter rally.
Clark also became part of the story
Clark received a technical foul during the game after making contact with a referee, according to the Associated Press. Officials initially counted it as her eighth technical foul of the season, which would have triggered a one-game suspension.
Clark said the contact was inadvertent and that no words were exchanged during the moment. The WNBA rescinded the technical a few hours after the game, allowing Clark to remain eligible for Indiana’s next game.
The incident revived earlier tensions
The matchup carried additional attention because Cunningham and the Fever have been involved in several physical games during recent WNBA seasons. Cunningham previously received an ejection in 2025 after an altercation involving Jacy Sheldon and contact involving Clark.
Carrington also had a previous incident involving Clark during the 2024 playoffs while playing for Connecticut. Those earlier events formed part of the background surrounding Saturday’s confrontation.
The rematch is already scheduled
Indiana and Chicago are scheduled to meet again on August 23 at Wintrust Arena, giving both teams another regular-season matchup later this month. As of August 10, the WNBA had not announced additional discipline for Carrington following the August 8 incident.
The teams had already played earlier in June, when Indiana won 114-106 in overtime. The August 23 meeting will therefore be their third regular-season matchup of 2026.
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The fallout remains active
The foul continued generating national sports coverage after Carrington’s ejection, Cunningham’s comments, Colson’s social-media response, and Carrington’s subsequent clarification. White also updated her reaction after reviewing replays, calling the foul “egregious.”
Indiana improved to 21-12 with a 106-92 victory over New York on Aug. 11 and remained fourth overall in the WNBA standings.
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What do you think about the Cunningham-Carrington foul and the reactions that followed? Like this slideshow and comment with your take on the incident and whether you agree with the officials’ decision.
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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