During a WNBA game on Saturday night, August 8th, 2026, Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington committed a hard foul against Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham, delivering a flagrant 2 foul that led to Carrington's ejection. The foul occurred with two minutes remaining in the first quarter of the Fever's eventual 90-86 victory.

Sports Illustrated initially published a story titled "Sophie Cunningham Got a Bitter Taste of Karma After Drawing Flagrant Foul in Fever-Sky," suggesting the foul was a form of karma. The article referenced a previous incident from the 2025 WNBA season where Cunningham committed a hard foul on Jacy Sheldon.

The headline sparked immediate and intense reactions on social media, especially given Cunningham's recent prominence for her views opposing transgender athletes in women's sports. Many perceived the use of "karma" as a pointed editorial stance by Sports Illustrated.

Following the backlash, Sports Illustrated edited the headline to remove the reference to karma.

Cunningham responded to Carrington's social media post about the incident by stating, "Last year I did the same thing, and I got kicked out, as I deserved to be kicked out. There’s no reason to even play that card."

Sources