The ESPN personality says he expected their nearly three-hour conversation to be released unedited and wants the full footage.
Stephen A. Smith is calling out former ESPN colleagues Cari Champion and Jemele Hill over how their nearly three-hour "Flagrant and Funny" interview was handled after being recorded. Smith's response comes amid his ongoing dispute with critics over his treatment of Black women.
Yahoo Sports reported that Smith addressed the interview on his "Straight Shooter with Stephen A." podcast, saying he believed the full conversation would be released unedited. Instead, the two-part episode totaled about two hours and 38 minutes.
Smith said he wants the complete interview made public, wants the YouTube comment section reopened, and wants a copy of the footage so he can post it on his own channel if he chooses.
He also objected to Champion questioning whether his appearance had benefited the show. Smith claimed "Flagrant and Funny" had roughly 9,000 YouTube subscribers before his appearance and gained more than 30,000 afterward, while videos from the interview drew hundreds of thousands of views.

#espn

Stephen A. Smith appeared to have been catfished by someone posing as his former First Take colleague Cari Champion, and he found out during an awkward exchange with Champion.
Smith joined Champion and Jemele Hill on their Flagrant and Funny podcast this week for an expansive two hour-plus interview where Champion and Hill discussed their past issues and criticism of Smith directly with him. Champion and Smith also discussed their time working together, leading to the revelation that Smith was catfished.
During the podcast, Smith was discussing helping Champion, who worked on First Take from 2012 to 2015, early in her career in sports journalism. Champion pushed back on some of this, claiming Smith did not even want her on the show and that she was underused.
During this exchange, Smith claimed Champion had reached out to him after Molly Qerim resigned from First Take in 2025. Smith claimed Champion wanted to make her way back into ESPN.
"When Molly [Qerim] resigned a few months ago, did you not reach out?" Smith asked.

#first #take #molly

One of the most influential figures in sports media is Stephen A. Smith. He is also one of the most polarizing, building a career by embracing the fact that sports fans either love him or hate him. Especially Dallas Cowboys fans, whom he frequently trolls.
However, that perception extends beyond the viewing audience. Smith has had notable clashes with colleagues throughout his career. Sometimes he has been on the right side of those controversies. Other times, he has not.
One of Smith's most notable feuds has been with former ESPN anchor Cari Champion. Champion worked for the Worldwide Leader in Sports from 2012 to 2020 and now hosts her own show on Amazon Prime. In the years since leaving First Take, Champion has had plenty to say about her former colleague.
MORE: Stephen A. Smith targets ESPN's College Gameday as next conquest
The two finally addressed their history on Champion and fellow former ESPN broadcaster Jemele Hill's podcast, Flagrant and Funny. The conversation featured plenty of good dialogue despite becoming relatively heated at times.

#former #times

Charles Barkley blasts DiJonai Carrington over Sophie Cunningham foul and controversial post originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Charles Barkley believes DiJonai Carrington made a bad situation significantly worse after her controversial collision with Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. Carrington was ejected from the Chicago Sky's Aug. 8 game against Indiana after striking Cunningham in the head while contesting a shot late in the first quarter. Cunningham was airborne when the contact occurred and fell hard to the court.
Officials initially called a common foul before upgrading it to a Flagrant 2 following a replay review. The ruling resulted in Carrington's immediate ejection. Carrington then posted "WHITE PRIVILEGE" on Threads and tagged the Fever, adding another layer to an incident already generating plenty of debate.
Barkley addressed both the foul and the social media post during an appearance on Michael Smerconish's radio show. The Basketball Hall of Famer did not leave much room for interpretation.
"It was a dirty play. Period," Barkley said.

#foul #charles #dijonai #indiana

Last week, Stephen A. Smith was given the "Thumbs Down" award from the National **** ociation of Black Journalists for his 'lack of accountability' and for 'disparaging black women.' Smith briefly defended himself in a post on X. After 11 days of silence, he took to YouTube to address the matter fully on his channel, Stephen A's Straight Shooter Media.
In the episode, Smith discusses why he waited so long to respond, why the comments from his fellow community were so disappointing, and why "disagreement should never automatically be labeled as disparagement."
"I am a human; I do have a heart; I do have a soul. I know what black women mean to me; I know what black women have always meant to me, and to hear such a flagrantly disrespectful accusation levied in my direction definitely, definitely hurt. But it gave me an opportunity to see how things unfold…and I cant put into words my level of disappointment," Smith said.
"As I said on the airwaves last Monday…you disagree with me, cool…we are in the conflict business…but when disagreement is allowed to be defined as disparagement, we got a problem, especially when journalists don't even have the courage to point out the distinction."
Smith shared an exchange he had with his daughters as they attempted to console him during his 11-day hiatus.

#black #women #stephen

UTA CEO David Kramer accused Variety executive editor Matt Donnelly of threatening the talent agency and engaging in hostile behavior toward female UTA employees after the publication of a critical story Wednesday.
In a memo to staff, Kramer said Donnelly had described UTA as a "flagrant and hostile enemy" in an email. He also quoted a text in which the reporter allegedly warned there would "be consequences both from Variety/PMC and myself."
Kramer further claimed Donnelly had told UTA employees he intended to damage the agency's business and had "recently subjected women at UTA to hostile and unprofessional behavior."
"That does not live up to any editorial standard," Kramer wrote. "We will not tolerate it."
A UTA insider told TheWrap of Donnelly's behavior towards the agency's staffers: "He calls them stupid. He calls them lazy. He calls them inept to their faces."

#kramer #employees

Stephanie White said it. The Indiana Fever proved it. Good thing they did.
Before the Fever's 106-92 win over the New York Liberty on Tuesday night, White had this to say to reporters: "The hate, the fear-mongering, the divisiveness, the stuff trying to hijack our league will not win. We are united. We are connected. We will not be divided."
To this point in the season, none of that has appeared to be true about the WNBA.
It wasn't until the Fever throttled the Liberty that White's pregame statement took on greater meaning. Because Indiana's performance backed up the coach's words in what could prove to be a crucial inflection point in the season. Without that win, White's words wouldn't have landed nearly as well. Because as impassioned as she was, her statement was more optimism than reality.
The online community she was addressing has been winning. It's the reason White was compelled to give a statement in the first place. Fever fans booed her before the game, all because of a narrative White doesn't support her players after what she said about Dijonai Carrington's Flagrant 2 foul on Sophie Cunningham.

#statement #indiana

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White went scorched earth on her critics during a post-game presser on Tuesday night, saying she will always stand by her players and "everybody else can go to ***** !"
White spoke out in the face of heavy criticism after a hard foul on Fever star Sophie Cunningham over the weekend, when she was grabbed around the neck and thrown to the court by Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington.
Carrington was slapped with a flagrant foul and tossed from the game.
After Cunningham chided Carrington for what she called an "intentional" hit, White astonishingly appeared to take Carrington's side, saying, "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."
The apparent failure to stick up for her own player led to intense backlash, as she was hit with boos from hometown fans ahead of Tuesday night's game against the New York Liberty.

#carrington #tuesday #saying

Indiana Fever Team President Kelly Krauskopf has issued a statement backing head coach Stephanie White after recent backlash.
Coach White tried to give DiJonai Carrington the benefit of the doubt after her Flagrant 2 foul on Sophie Cunningham against the Chicago Sky, but that angered fans who felt she didn't stand up for Sophie.
Amid a social media firestorm and rising criticism of White from fans, the Fever front office have firmly thrown their support behind their head coach.
After Coach White made a lengthy pregame statement explaining the Carrington-Cunningham situation and denouncing the rising hate within the league because of outside forces, Fever Team President Kelly Krauskopf shared a supportive statement of her own.
"Coach White has done a tremendous job leading the Fever and for the second-consecutive season, has us in a great position for a playoff push. She has kept our team focused and united, all while under the brightest spotlight our team and our league have ever experienced. She has the full support of leadership."

#team

Indiana Fever All-Star guard Caitlin Clark and head coach Stephanie White must be experiencing déjà vu.
On May 30, Clark and White were caught on camera in the midst of an intense sideline spat. Two days later, Clark put to bed any delusions of a rocky relationship.
"It's just another example of what everybody, all of you, want to blow up and make something that is just lost and not in reality," Clark said, in part, at the time, per ESPN's Kareem Copeland. "When I got hurt at the Connecticut game last year, I bawled in Steph's arms. That's somebody I will ride for for the rest of my life. People that just sit on their phones all day, they don't see those moments."
Fast forward a little over two months. Last Saturday, White came under fire again for her completely rational ******* sment of Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington's Flagrant 2 foul on Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. The media mania spun so far out of control that Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith publicly called for White's job.
Come Tuesday night, the Fever hosted the New York Liberty. White used her pregame press conference to deliver a passionate speech directed at "an online community that's trying to create narratives that simply don't exist."

#guard #star

Last Saturday, Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington elbowed Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham in the face while attempting a chase-down block. Carrington was ******* sed a Flagrant 2 and ejected from the game.
After the Fever beat the Sky, Fever head coach Stephanie White commented on the controversial play.
"I mean, look, it was a hard foul," White said at her postgame press conference. "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. But one of the things about [Carrington] is that she's gonna play her ******* off, man. She's gonna compete. ******* ody's gonna go walking in for a layup. I don't oppose the hard foul, but I also don't think she intentionally went for the neck."
Before returning home to Indiana to become the Fever's head coach in November 2024, White was head coach of the Connecticut Sun for the 2023 and '24 WNBA seasons, winning the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year award. She coached Carrington on the Sun for those two years. So, if anyone not named DiJonai Carrington has the authority to speak on her playing style, it's White.
But, as with all matters of the WNBA, people who otherwise don't care about women's basketball latched onto this and blew it out of proportion. Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith publicly called for White's job. Beckwith wasn't alone in criticizing White, as the likes of Linda Cohn and Jason Whitlock joined the chorus.

#carrington #indiana

The WNBA's latest controversy involves Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington's flagrant foul on Indiana Fever forward Sophie Cunningham.
There's been a lot of commentary throughout sports media on the incident, with many people accusing Carrington of having ulterior motives. A former NFL star quarterback was the latest to weigh in on the issue, and his comments sparked swift backlash.
Cincinnati Bengals great Boomer Esiason discussed the incident, and believes Carrington's flagrant foul was a sign of jealousy. Esiason believes Carrington may have targeted Cunningham based on Cunningham's looks, beliefs, and popularity.
Notable sports media figure Jemele Hill offered a strong reaction to Esiason's comments. Hill said "I'm sure he's never spoken to a current WNBA player, but he's ecstatic to push the narrative that black players are jealous of white players with no evidence. When white players compete hard against black players, they are celebrated and it's just considered good ball."
"When Black players do it, they're jealous and hateful. THAT is the white privilege DiJonai was talking about — the lack of consistency in reaction and sometimes, punishment," she added.

#players #carrington #flagrant

Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington said that her social media post about White privilege was not about her flagrant 2 foul on Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham on Saturday, but about a desire for "consistency across the board" in officiating, an issue that has sparked controversy throughout the WNBA season.
Carrington had posted "WHITE PRIVILEGE" on her Threads account and tagged the Indiana Fever shortly after her ejection from the game. She was whistled for a flagrant 2 foul after her left arm connected with Cunningham's head and jaw as Cunningham was midair attempting a layup. The blow knocked Cunningham to the floor, but she quickly got up to confront Carrington before her Fever teammate Makayla Timpson pulled her away.
"I've never once claimed that the ****** sment of the foul was White privilege (that was your ****** umption)," Carrington posted Monday on X, in response to commentary from sports ****** yst Emmanuel Acho, who said that the flagrant 2 decision was accurate. He also called her post "ignorant" and "asinine."
"Furthermore, I'm the LAST thing from ignorant or asinine when it comes to speaking on 'white privilege', do ya research on that one," Carrington continued. "I actually went to school, one of the top universities might I add, to educate myself on this exact subject. I would never use that term as a rhetorical weapon knowing the historical and social weight it holds without having the proper evidence to substantiate it."
Carrington, who played four years in college at Stanford before transferring to Baylor, told reporters before the Sky's game against the Seattle Storm Monday night that her post was aimed at the league more broadly. She did not address why she tagged the Fever in her post.

#white #foul

DiJonai Carrington's spat with Sophie Cunningham took another turn in the Chicago Sky's most recent game.
Carrington received a Flagrant 2 foul and was ejected from Chicago's defeat to the Indiana Fever last weekend for swiping her arm across Cunningham's face.
The Sky guard then posted "White Privilege" on social media shortly after her ejection, starting a cultural and political debate.
Carrington has since claimed the post was not about Cunningham, but she has not explained what she really meant.
The 28-year-old returned to the court and had a season-best performance in the Sky's game against the Seattle Storm on Monday.

#game #fever #white

DiJonai Carrington entered Climate Pledge Arena on Monday night with a chaotic news cycle surrounding her.
The Chicago Sky guard responded to criticism by ripping through the Seattle Storm's defense for a career-high 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals off the bench.
Carrington blocked out the noise surrounding her weekend ejection for a hard foul on Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham and the subsequent fallout, generating buzz on social media.
Fans and ***** ysts had spent the last 48 hours eagerly discussing Carrington's Flagrant 2 foul against Cunningham and the Sky guard's controversial post following her ejection.
After delivering a questionable defense of her "white privilege" post and the backlash, Carrington showed no signs of distraction against the Storm.

#guard #defense #foul #climate

Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington returned to the court on Monday night after she was ejected from Saturday's game against the Indiana Fever for a hard foul on Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. Even though that return came on the road, she still received quite a warm reception from the fans in attendance.
As usual, Carrington began Monday night's game on the bench. But when she checked into the game early in the first quarter, she was showered with cheers from the opposing fans following the incident with Cunningham and her subsequent ejection.
The play in question occurred during the first quarter of Saturday night's game when Cunningham went up for what appeared to be an open layup, and Carrington struck her in the head from behind, sending her slamming into the ground.
After a review, Carrington was issued a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the contest.
"Clearly, I think it was like, unnecessary. I've never really spoken to her and have no beef with her, but I guess she has some pent-up stuff. So get your [expletive] off. That's fine. I can take it." Cunningham said after the game via Kareem Copeland.

#cunningham

Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington said her flagrant foul Aug. 8 against Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham was unfortunate and unintentional. She also clarified her "white privilege" post on social media was not in response to being given the foul.
"It's just who I am. I'm never going to just let an open layup be had," Carrington told reporters Monday, Aug. 10, before the team's road game against the Seattle Storm. "You can pull clips from, I don't know, however many seasons of me making that (play). Obviously I'm just coming back from injury, so maybe my timing or my lift wasn't where it needs to get. It was unfortunate I made contact with her in the way that I did, but it was never intentional."
Carrington made her season debut for the Sky on July 30 after recovering from a foot injury. She was ejected from their game against the Fever for a flagrant foul penalty 2, which is given for "unnecessary and excessive" contact, according to the WNBA rulebook.
Carrington, who is Black, fouled Cunningham from behind on a fast-break layup late in the first quarter of the nationally-televised game at the United Center in Chicago. Cunningham, who is white, was knocked to the court from the impact. The play was reviewed and upgraded to a flagrant 2 after officials determined Carrington wound up and followed through on the contact with Cunningham's head and neck.
Cunningham recently made headlines for her comments on transgender athletes, and Carrington emphasized that had nothing to do with the on-court situation.

#carrington #cunningham #flagrant

DiJonai Carrington breaks silence on controversial Sophie Cunningham foul originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
DiJonai Carrington is not apologizing for trying to prevent an easy basket. She does, however, regret how her attempt to stop Sophie Cunningham unfolded. The Chicago Sky guard addressed the controversial play that resulted in her ejection from Saturday's 90-86 loss to the Indiana Fever. Carrington maintained that she was making a defensive play she has attempted throughout her WNBA career and never intended to injure Cunningham.
"I'm never gonna let an open layup just be had," Carrington said. "You can pull clips from however many seasons of me making that same exact play. It was unfortunate that I made contact with her in the way that I did, but it was never intentional."
Officials reviewed the contact and upgraded Carrington's foul to a Flagrant 2, which carried an automatic ejection. The decision removed one of Chicago's most productive players from a competitive game and immediately ignited another heated debate surrounding physical play in the WNBA.
Carrington's comments drew a clear line between her intent and the result of the play. The six-year veteran did not dispute that she made significant contact with Cunningham. Instead, she explained that her objective was to prevent an uncontested layup, not deliver a dangerous hit.

#dijonai #sporting #controversial

DiJonai Carrington of the Chicago Sky traded posts on social media with former NFL player and current commentator Emmanuel Acho on Monday after she was ejected from Saturday's WNBA game against the Indiana Fever.
Carrington committed a hard foul against Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, and after a review, was ******* sed with a Flagrant 2 and ejected from the game. Shortly after she was off the court, a post that read "WHITE PRIVILEGE indianafever" was sent out from one of her social media accounts.
Acho offered his take on the situation on his podcast Speakeasy on Sunday night: "If we are paying attention to what DiJonai Carrington did to Sophie Cunningham, it was not a race-based decision, and to call that a white-privileged-based foul is to completely undermine the term of white privilege and also completely ignore the rules in basketball."
While Acho was one of many commentators to weigh in on Carrington's foul, his comments stand out because they prompted a response from Carrington herself.
"I've never once claimed that the ******* sment of the foul was white privilege (that was your ******* umption)," Carrington posted in response to Acho. "Try exercising your critical thinking skills, I know you studied psych. Furthermore, I'm the LAST thing from ignorant or asinine when it comes to speaking on 'white privilege,' do ya research on that one. I actually went to school, one of the top universities might I add, to educate myself on this exact subject. I would never use that term as a rhetorical weapon knowing the historical and social weight it holds without having the proper evidence to substantiate it."

#acho #foul

Old DiJonai Carrington-Caitlin Clark video resurfaces after Sophie Cunningham foul originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
DiJonai Carrington's ejection for a hard foul on Sophie Cunningham has revived debate surrounding another controversial play involving the Chicago Sky guard. Carrington was ******* sed a Flagrant 2 and ejected during Saturday's game between the Sky and Indiana Fever after striking Cunningham in the head from behind. Cunningham was driving for a layup when Carrington attempted to prevent the basket, making contact with her head and sending her crashing to the court.
The frightening fall immediately sparked strong reactions across social media. As the play circulated online, an old video involving Carrington and Caitlin Clark also resurfaced and generated more than 1 million views.
The older clip came from the Fever's 2024 playoff series against the Connecticut Sun, Carrington's former team. Carrington appeared to poke Clark in the eye while attempting to defend the Indiana guard.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy reposted the video after Carrington's foul on Cunningham and called her the "dirtiest player in the game." The accusation quickly renewed debate over Carrington's physical style of play. However, Clark rejected the idea that Carrington intentionally struck her during the 2024 incident.

#clark #foul

Melissa Barrera has shared that her firing from the "Scream" franchise by producers over her social media posts relating to Israel and Gaza wasn't "the first time that that has happened to someone, and it won't be the last."
Speaking in a podcast interview with Latino USA, Barrera agreed with host Maria Hinojosa's ******* ertion that she had been "blacklisted" by the series producers, but added that "a lot of people got fired from their jobs, not just in the entertainment industry … for basically saying Palestinians deserve human rights and they shouldn't be getting bombed and attacked in this way."
"It's sad to me that there are interests that are more important to certain people, of power and money … They will do everything they can to shut people up from saying that people deserve to live, that children deserve to grow up," Barrera continued. "I try to continue to have hope because I do feel that there's a lot more people out there that care — that actually do care about each other — and that understand that we're all connected. We can't turn a blind eye to something that is happening on the other side of the world just because it's on the other side of the world, because, before we know it, it's right here on our doorstep. People, especially in this country, realized that this year."
Barrera was the lead of the "Scream" franchise in the 2022 series revival and its 2023 follow-up "Scream VI." As a seventh sequel was being developed, producers at Spyglass Media announced that Barrera would not be a part of future entries, describing the actor's posts about recent military attacks by Israel on Gaza as "antisemitism" that "flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech." In turn, Barrera released a statement condemning antisemitism, Islamophobia and "hate and prejudice of any kind" and that she would "continue to speak out for those that need it most and continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom."
"We just have to name things for what they are, even if there's consequences," Barrera said on her Latino USA interview. "I was one of a lot of people that faced consequences, but I'm on Broadway now. I'm still here. … It took me in a direction of actually taking more control of my life and not allowing other people to have control over my life."

#barrera

Saturday in the WNBA was anything but uneventful. Saturday's game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky saw Fever guard Sophie Cunningham end up on the wrong end of a very hard foul.
While Cunningham was attempting a layup in transition, Sky guard DiJonai Carrington struck her in the face while going for a chase-down block, sending her tumbling to the floor. After video review, Carrington was ****** sed a flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game.
After being removed from competition, Carrington attributed the loss to "white privilege" on Threads.
However, conservative pundit Riley Gaines doesn't think things are quite so cut and dry.
"I would actually say that this is Black privilege, to be totally honest with you, because her posting this white racist comment right after ****** aulting Sophie Cunningham on the court is actually black privilege because she knows the WNBA won't do a single thing of significance about it," Gaines said.

#carrington #privilege #gaines

CHICAGO — Leaning against the wall in a United Center tunnel Saturday afternoon, Sophie Cunningham reflected on the emerging truth of her existence: Sometimes she seeks the spotlight, and the rest of the time, the spotlight seeks her.
"Another day, another dollar, welcome to my life, boys and girls," the Indiana Fever guard declared.
It should surprise no one, of course, that Cunningham took a hard foul in a 90-86 win over the Chicago Sky and then elected to give as good as she got. The arm-to-the-neck she absorbed from the Sky's DiJonai Carrington on a first-quarter layup attempt, which resulted in Carrington's ejection, was just the start.
"From my point of view, I mean, clearly I think it was unnecessary," Cunningham said after the game. "I've never really spoken to her and have no beef with her. But I guess she has some pent-up stuff. So get your s— off. That's fine. I can take it."
Cunningham immediately popped up, pushed Carrington and was restrained by teammate Makalya Timpson while exchanging words. ("I'm not going to let anyone just do that to me, I think everyone knows that," Cunningham said.) Carrington was **** sed a Flagrant 2 foul, but Cunningham wasn't hit with a technical foul for the shove because officials "deemed her reaction to the severity of the contact to be acceptable," per a pool report distributed after the game.

#cunningham #spotlight

CHICAGO — Based on her own experience, Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham thinks DiJonai Carrington's Flagrant 2 foul on her was definitely intentional.
"Absolutely, I mean, that's like what I did last year, but I made my layup," Cunningham said postgame, referring to her fight with now-Sky guard Jacy Sheldon while Sheldon was on the Connecticut Sun last year that resulted in a Flagrant 2 and ejection for Cunningham.
"And yeah, it's intentional," she continued. "But I mean, (Carrington) wasn't even on (the Sun last year), she has no reason to be doing any of that. So, good way to get her kicked out, and that's what they did. So, it's fine."
Carrington was not made available or required to speak as a result of her ejection in Saturday's 90-86 Fever win. She was ejected just eight minutes in after she hit Cunningham in the face with her arm while Cunningham was going for a layup. Cunningham fell to the ground, then immediately popped back up to confront Carrington.
Buy 2026 Indiana Fever tickets!

#cunningham

Despite many public hopes that the WNBA would be able to return to basketball, two fouls during Saturday's game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky essentially ensured that the media cycle the league has been stuck in for the past two weeks would continue.
The first foul will get most of the attention. In the first quarter, Sky guard DiJonai Carrington was chasing down Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. Carrington was behind the play, jumped, and brought her arm down on Cunningham's face. After a review, officials decided that Carrington had wound up, made contact, and followed through, elevating the foul to a Flagrant 2 and ejecting her from the game.
Cunningham, of course, sparked controversy two weeks ago due to comments regarding transgender athletes in a story published on ESPN.
"I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I'm like, 'I never once said that,'" Cunningham said in the story. "I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men."
"I'm very much in the middle," she said of her political leanings. "I agree with things on both sides, disagree with things on both sides. And that's all I've ever said about my political beliefs. But people love to ***** ume."

#fever #foul #down

CHICAGO — The ongoing Sophie Cunningham saga has another chapter.
The Indiana Fever guard took a shot to the face from Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington during the first quarter Saturday at the United Center — a foul that resulted in a Flagrant 2 foul and ejection for Carrington, followed by an almost immediate rebuke on her social media account.
"WHITE PRIVILEGE," the post from Carrington's Threads account read, with the Indiana Fever tagged.
After an errant pass from the Sky's Elizabeth Williams, the Fever's Monique Billings collected the loose ball and threw ahead to a streaking Cunningham. On the shot attempt, Carrington's left arm connected with Cunningham's head and jaw, sending her to the floor.
Cunningham immediately popped up, and teammate Makayla Timpson had to separate her from Carrington. After a review, officials upgraded the common foul to a Flagrant 2 and sent Carrington to the locker room. On her way through the tunnel, Carrington grinned and shook her head as Sky fans gave her an ovation.

#guard

Chicago Sky forward DiJonai Carrington was ejected from a WNBA game Saturday, Aug. 8, after a hard foul on Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. Not long after, Carrington posted two words to her Threads account: "WHITE PRIVILEGE Indianafever."
Carrington's foul caused tension among players and after review, officials upgraded it to a flagrant foul penalty 2, which requires a player exit the game due to unnecessary and excessive contact, according to the WNBA rulebook.
Cunningham immediately had words for Carrington and was held back by a teammate.
View on Threads

#cunningham

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Janelle Salaun scored 21 points, Kayla Thornton hit two quick 3-pointers and two more early in the second half on the way to 20 points, and the Golden State Valkyries held off the Toronto Tempo for a second straight game, 92-82 on Tuesday night.
Veronica Burton contributed 12 points, eight rebounds and seven ****** ists for Golden State in the second straight matchup of the teams at sold-out Chase Center after the Valkyries beat the Tempo 96-79 on Sunday night.
Thornton took an elbow from Aneesah Morrow to her throat area with 4:27 remaining in the third quarter that was ruled a Flagrant 1 upon replay review.
Morrow made her debut with Toronto after being acquired in a trade with the Connecticut Sun on Friday. She entered with 4:57 left in the first quarter and hit a 3 about a minute later for the first of her eight points to go with five rebounds.
Nyara Sabally scored 22 points and Maria Conde had 17 points and six rebounds for the Tempo, who welcomed back leading scorer Marina Mabrey after she sat out Sunday with a neck injury. Mabrey scored 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting over 35 minutes in Toronto's seventh straight loss and 11th in 12.

#second #rebounds

Diamond Miller faces increased WNBA punishment after physical Caitlin Clark incident originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Diamond Miller’s physical exchange with Caitlin Clark during the Indiana Fever’s blowout victory over the Connecticut Sun will cost the veteran forward.
Miller received her fourth technical foul of the 2026 season during Indiana’s 123-88 win Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Under the WNBA’s technical foul rules, Miller is now facing a $1,000 fine. The incident came during a heated game that included multiple technical and flagrant fouls. While the Sun attempted to frustrate Clark and the Fever with physical defense, Indiana delivered its response on the scoreboard.
Clark finished with 27 points and 11 **** ists, leading the Fever to their third consecutive win and a 16-10 record entering the WNBA All-Star break.
The confrontation occurred midway through the third quarter as Miller guarded Clark closely. Miller held and pulled at Clark while attempting to disrupt the Fever guard. The physical play continued during a dead-ball situation when Miller appeared to make another attempt at the ball and moved toward Clark after the whistle.

#miller #clark

"I'm guessing I'll be in line," former FBI Director James Comey quipped after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced a "settlement agreement" between President Donald Trump and the IRS that included $1.8 billion in taxpayer money for targets of "lawfare and weaponization." Comey's joke encompasses two reasons why the Senate should not confirm Blanche as attorney general: a flagrantly unconstitutional prosecution and a brazenly corrupt arrangement that delivered huge favors to Trump, his family, and his followers at taxpayers' expense.
Blanche's participation in both of those scams demonstrated his eagerness to please his boss, which explains why Trump nominated him to replace Pam Bondi. But that same tendency should alarm anyone who thinks the attorney general should pursue justice rather than the president's personal agenda.
In a scathing ruling on Monday, a federal judge described Trump's lawsuit against the IRS as a pretext for "a 'settlement' that had no viable basis in law or fact." Kathleen Williams, who oversaw the case in the Southern District of Florida, concluded that it never involved a genuine controversy between adverse parties, since both sides were controlled by the president.
Trump's lawsuit, which was joined by two of his sons and the Trump Organization, preposterously alleged that an IRS contractor's illegal disclosure of their tax returns had caused "at least" $10 billion in damages. In addition to offering an improbable estimate of the injury he had suffered, Trump filed the lawsuit more than two years after learning about the leak, exceeding the time limit set by the statute he invoked.
That law covers unauthorized disclosures by "any officer or employee of the United States." So even if Trump had filed his lawsuit on time, he would have faced the challenge of arguing that a contractor employed by a consulting business fit into that category—a point that the Justice Department has disputed in other cases involving similar claims.