"She is going to seriously injure a player" - Jason Whitlock calls out WNBA over DiJonai Carrington's flagrant on Lynx forward

Dating back to the 2024 season, DiJonai Carrington has built a reputation for being an aggressive defender. Following a near-scuffle on Wednesday night, analyst Jason Whitlock sounded off on her style of play.

The Dallas Wings faced off against the Minnesota Lynx for the second time this season. During this tight matchup, Carrington received her first flagrant foul of the year while defending a fast break.

While Lynx forward Jessica Shepard was driving to the basket, Carrington came from behind to try and block the shot. After making a play at the ball, she was seen taking a swipe at Shepard's face.

Whitlock called out Carrington's brash style on the court and said she would injure someone if the league didn't step in.

"Carrington is going to seriously injure a player in the WNBA. She once again uses her fingernail to scrape across the face of an opposing player. The WNBA supports and panders toward Dijonai’s form of bigotry."

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Aside from being assessed a flagrant foul, it doesn't appear that Carrington will face any sort of punishment for her actions towards Shepard.

DiJonai Carrington once had similar controversial foul on Caitlin Clark

DiJonai Carrington was caught up in a similar situation during last year's playoffs.

Still with the Connecticut Sun at the time, Carrington faced off against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in the first round of the postseason. As the team's best perimeter defender, she was primarily tasked with matching up with the star rookie.

Early on in Game 1, Carrington landed a blow to Clark's face that left her sidelined for a brief portion of the game. She was attempting to deflect a pass thrown from the Fever star, and while coming down, struck her directly in the eye.

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Clark was a bit shaken up after the play and quickly found herself with a black eye. However, it did not keep her out of the game for long. After taking some time to regain her composure, she returned in hopes of keeping Indiana's playoff dreams alive.

Carrington has a history of landing blows to the face and if it becomes a pattern, the league office might have no choice but to step in.

About the author

Kevin McCormick is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with over four years of experience in journalism and a bachelor's degree in Sports Management Marketing from Holy Family University.

Kevin has worked with various notable outlets throughout his career, including 97.3 ESPN, ClutchPoints, Heavy Sports, and Sports Illustrated/FanNation, before joining Sportskeeda in March 2022.

Specializing in NBA and WNBA coverage, Kevin's passion for basketball stems from his hometown team, the Philadelphia 76ers. Among his favorite players are Kevin Durant, Chet Holmgren, and Steph Curry, while his all-time favorites include Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

Kevin holds Coach K in high regard for the large input he's had on the game helping mold players across multiple generations. Kevin believes the iconic rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson helped elevate the league to its current status.

Through his writing, Kevin provides in-depth analysis and insights into player and coach quotes. He prioritizes sourcing information from credible and reliable outlets.

Kevin enjoys reading, aiming to finish at least one book per month, and he is a big fan of music.

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Edited by Kevin McCormick