CHICAGO — The Indiana Fever defeated the Chicago Sky 90-86 on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at the United Center. The game featured the ejection of Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington for a hard foul on Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham and the subsequent rescission of a technical foul assessed to Caitlin Clark.

Carrington was ejected in the first quarter after striking Cunningham across the head and neck with her arm as Cunningham attempted a layup. Officials reviewed the foul and upgraded it to a Flagrant 2, resulting in Carrington's automatic ejection. Carrington had scored eight points in less than four minutes of play before being removed from the game.

Cunningham confronted Carrington and shoved her after the foul, before teammates and security separated them. Referee Maj Forsberg stated that Cunningham was not penalized because officials deemed her reaction to the severity of the contact acceptable. Shortly after her ejection, Carrington posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on the social media platform Threads, tagging the Indiana Fever. Carrington later posted the date “8/23” on the social media platform X.

Cunningham said she believed the league was handling the situation appropriately and emphasized that the incident had nothing to do with race. She noted that she had been ejected the previous year for a similar foul and had deserved that ejection, adding that there was no reason to bring race into the current situation.

She added that she found the foul unnecessary and said she had no prior issues with Carrington, suggesting Carrington might have had unresolved frustrations. Cunningham said she could handle such situations. Cunningham has faced protests and counter-protests at games following her comments opposing transgender women participating in women's sports.

In June 2025, Cunningham committed a Flagrant 2 foul against Jacy Sheldon of the Connecticut Sun, leading to an on-court scuffle and her ejection from the game. Sheldon is currently a member of the Chicago Sky.

Caitlin Clark was assessed a technical foul in the third quarter for making contact with an official after being bumped out of bounds by Natasha Cloud. The technical foul was initially Clark's eighth of the season, which triggers an automatic one-game suspension under WNBA rules. The WNBA rescinded Clark's technical foul, meaning she will not serve a one-game suspension. Clark finished the game with 26 points, 11 assists, and 4 rebounds.

Kelsey Mitchell led all scorers with 27 points, marking her 16th straight game with at least 20 points, a WNBA record. Makayla Timpson was inserted into the starting lineup for the Indiana Fever prior to the game.

Why It Matters

The rescission of Caitlin Clark's technical foul prevents an automatic one-game suspension, allowing her to maintain eligibility under league rules regarding accumulated infractions. DiJonai Carrington's ejection for a Flagrant 2 foul removes a player who had scored eight points in less than four minutes, immediately altering the Chicago Sky's rotational options. Sophie Cunningham's response to social media allegations regarding race adds context to on-court altercations involving players who have previously faced public scrutiny over off-court statements.