DiJonai Carrington says ‘WHITE PRIVILEGE’ post goes beyond flagrant foul

SEATTLE — Two days after the Sky’s DiJonai Carrington was ejected for a flagrant foul 2 on Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, she said her ‘‘WHITE PRIVILEGE’’ post was about more than what happened on that play.

Carrington wasn’t made available to reporters after the game Saturday against the Fever. But after shootaround Monday, she responded online to YouTube host Emmanuel Acho, who argued that the foul call was justified and could not be attributed to white privilege.

‘‘I’ve never once claimed that the assessment of the foul was white privilege (that was your assumption). Try exercising your critical thinking skills, I know you studied psych,’’ Carrington wrote.

‘‘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.’’

Before the Sky’s game against the Storm, Carrington kept her cards close to her chest when she was asked specifically what she meant by the post. But she made clear her concerns extend beyond the incident and said she already has raised them with the league.

‘‘I already spoke with people who potentially will have the agency to create the change that I’m hoping comes about from not just this incident, but ones in the past and that are obviously going to be coming up in the near future, probably,’’ Carrington said.

Carrington said she was not encouraged by her conversation with the league but intends to continue pushing for consistency. The WNBA did not respond to a request for comment about racism or unconscious bias in officiating.

Cunningham said after the game that she believed Carrington’s foul was intentional, done for attention and possibly meant to send a message after Cunningham flagrantly fouled Sky guard Jacy Sheldon last season.

Carrington rejected that.

‘‘It was unfortunate that I made contact with her in the way that I did, but it was never intentional,’’ she said. ‘‘And, look, it might happen again. That’s just how I play. I’m gonna always go all out. I’m not gonna just let an open layup happen. But like I said, I’m never intending to hurt anybody, regardless of the outside noise or whatever the situation may be.’’

Carrington also was asked whether Cunningham should have received a technical foul for her reaction after the play. Cunningham approached Carrington and gave her a small shove, which officials later deemed an ‘‘acceptable’’ reaction.

‘‘I would just love consistency across the board when it comes to things like that,’’ Carrington said. ‘‘Whether it’s the foul that I commit, whether it’s the reaction or retaliation, I would just love for it to be consistent across the board, regardless of the name on your jersey or your skin color or the score of the game, whatever.

‘‘I don’t think we’re there yet. That’s something that I’ve talked to the league about, as well. I think that will eliminate a lot of frustrations we all have.’’

Sky coach Tyler Marsh has been critical of the officiating throughout the season, particularly about what he views as a lack of consistency and accountability. Asked whether racism and unconscious bias need to be addressed in officiating, he said that was for the league to determine.

‘‘I think it would be ignorant to think that it doesn’t play a part in the grand scheme of society,’’ Marsh said. ‘‘But I don’t think it influences calls that happen with officiating.’’

He also backed Carrington’s assertion that the foul was not intentional and said the two have spoken since the game.

‘‘She knows where I and we are . . . for her individually and for our team,’’ Marsh said.

Marsh did not say whether he was disappointed that Carrington posted on social media after her ejection, instead acknowledging the power of social media and how quickly narratives can take hold. The WNBA and Sky did not respond to requests for comment about whether Carrington will face any discipline for the post.

‘‘I don’t think it calls for a matter of policing our players,’’ Marsh said. ‘‘But I think everyone is aware of what can arise from that. I think DiJonai knows how we feel.

‘‘She wanted to be out there for our team. At the end of the day, there’s a lot that has come out of it. There’s a lot of vitriol at DiJonai’s expense. There’s a lot that she has to deal with, as well. When we talk about protecting players, it should be every player.’’