Connecticut Sun standout DiJonai Carrington sparked a slew of reactions online after the Sun's Jun. 10 game against the Indiana Fever. Carrington was matched up against Caitlin Clark and at one point, closed out on Clark on a defensive sequence, bumping into the former Iowa Hawkeye. Clark drew a foul on the play, with Carrington then reacting, throwing her head back in an imitation of Clark.
The clip went viral online, with one social media user injecting race into the equation, also alleging that Carrington's close-out on Caitlin Clark was "violent." In response, Caitlin Clark indicated that she was disappointed to see others use her to attack others.
Carrington also fired back at the social media user with a short message, before adding a long post in the wake of comments made by Caitlin Clark. She explained that she was bothered by others using the moment to support theories of racism. Despite the play being far less physical than the recent Caitlin Clark-Chennedy Carter play, the situation continued to stir up a slew of reactions online.
As it turns out, a tweet from Carrington posted last year has now resurfaced. In it, DiJonai Carrington praised Clark for her NCAA play, making it clear that she hasn't got a longstanding grudge against Clark:
"Caitlin better win POTY or it’s rigged. There, I said it."
DiJonai Carrington's thoughts on the Caitlin Clark foul and racism take
The foul from DiJonai Carrington was a play on the ball as she looked to close out on Clark and handle the defensive assignment. This contrasted with the controversial foul on Caitlin Clark by Chennedy Carter in the Fever-Sky game last week. In that instance, the foul wasn't a basketball play, nor was it a play on the ball.
Despite that, a social media user felt race played a part in Carrington's foul and in how Clark has been treated by other players in the WNBA.
Other NBA/WNBA players both past and present have indicated that Clark is simply going through the rookie hazing process. Given that, DiJonai Carrington fired back at the user who raised the issue of race and Clark for saying she doesn't see the discourse online:
"Dawg. How one can not be bothered by their name being used to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia & the intersectionalities of them all is nuts. We all see the sh*t. We all have a platform. We all have a voice & they all hold weight. Silence is a luxury."
With the WNBA season still in the early stages, the Fever and the Sun will next meet on Aug. 28 in Indiana.