Fever Coach White Criticized for Defending Carrington Foul on Cunningham

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White faced significant backlash after appearing to defend Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington for a hard foul that left her own player, Sophie Cunningham, bloodied during a game on August 8, 2026. The incident occurred in the first quarter of the Fever's 90-86 victory over the Sky at the United Center in Chicago.

With 1:59 left in the first quarter, Cunningham was on a fast break for a layup when Carrington attempted to block the shot from behind. Carrington's arm struck Cunningham across the face and neck, causing Cunningham to fall hard to the court. The play was immediately ruled a flagrant 2 foul, resulting in Carrington's ejection. Cunningham quickly got up and confronted Carrington, shoving her before being restrained by a teammate.

In her postgame press conference, White acknowledged the foul was correctly penalized but offered a perspective that surprised many. "Yeah, I mean, look, it was a hard foul. I don't think that DiJonai intentionally came out to get her across the neck like she did, but it did happen, and I thought it was the right call," White said. She added, "One of the things about Nai is that she's going to play her butt...