WNBA media defends DiJonai Carrington after dangerous Sophie Cunningham hit reveals glaring bias

Megan Rapinoe’s latest ridiculous rant on Sophie Cunningham and RIley Gaines makes it clear she doesn’t get the real issues in women’s sports

WNBA media wasted no time jumping to DiJonai Carrington’s defense after her dangerous hit on Sophie Cunningham earned her a Flagrant 2 and an early shower Saturday.

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Just like that, Carrington turned punishment for her own reckless play into an accusation about race. If anything, that response warranted even greater scrutiny. Instead, WNBA media circled the wagons around Carrington, downplaying the hit.

ESPN quickly joined the defense when analyst Andraya Carter rationalized the hit as little more than a product of Carrington’s aggressive style of play.

“These are plays we’ve seen from DiJonai, right? So getting in the right position, jumping over the top, getting these transition blocks,” Carter explained.

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Carter’s own analysis undermined the defense she was making.

She acknowledged that Carrington was behind the play and that the contact above the head was “too much,” only to excuse it with a familiar refrain: “that’s what DiJonai Carrington does.”

It’s clear that Sophie Cunningham is in the WNBA’s crosshairs for speaking out against male athletes competing in women’s sports and refusing to toe the league’s preferred line.

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The response to Saturday’s incident exposes a persistent imbalance within WNBA coverage.

When physical aggression is directed at White players such as Cunningham or Caitlin Clark, commentators have repeatedly shown a willingness to search for explanations that soften the actions of the offending player.

The disparity becomes even harder to ignore when the circumstances are reversed.

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Less than two years later, another dangerous play involving Carrington has produced another controversy, followed by another effort to shift the conversation away from her own responsibility.

The facts from Saturday are straightforward. Carrington delivered a dangerous hit that officials deemed serious enough to warrant a Flagrant 2 and an ejection, then responded by invoking race.

Rather than scrutinize both actions, prominent voices within WNBA media devoted their energy to explaining her conduct.

Player safety cannot depend on who delivers the hit, just as media scrutiny should not depend on the racial identities of the players involved.

(*) Full article: https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/wnba-media-defends-dijonai-carrington-dangerous-sophie-cunningham-hit-reveals-glaring-bias