Wait, what happened?

The GIST: Stop us if you heard this one before, but the WNBA is once again making national news — sadly not because Minnesota Lynx star Kayla McBride broke the league’s single-game 3-point record yesterday (10), but due to on- and off-court drama. Here’s what went down in one tension-filled game.

👀 Chicago Sky’s DiJonai Carrington ejected for flagrant foul on Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham: While attempting to block a shot, Carrington hit Cunningham in the face, a play that was deemed a Flagrant 2 foul and garnered a subsequent ejection from the game. During the 90–86 Sky loss, Carrington posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE” and tagged the Fever.

• The situation is also receiving heightened attention as a result of Cunningham’s recent public stance against trans athlete participation in women’s sports.

• Just 24 hours before the game, the league’s Players Association denounced “hate, abuse, and demonization” of trans folks while commissioner Cathy Engelbert encouraged “respect” in an internal memo, a note that failed to define the league’s stance on trans athletes.

🤨 In the same game, Caitlin Clark received her eighth tech of the season, a foul that was later rescinded: Clark bumped into an official out of bounds, which is a technical foul. In the WNBA, eight techs in a season triggers an automatic one-game suspension, which would have kept Clark on the bench for tomorrow’s 7:30 p.m. ET battle against the NY Liberty.

• However, Clark’s foul was rescinded by the league two hours after the game, making her available for the marquee showdown. As the conversations surrounding the court intensify, here’s to a great night of hooping on it.

The GIST: The WAFCON semis are officially set, but not without a major plot twist. Defending champs Nigeria are heading home with a double dose of heartbreak — their title defense is over, and they might not be heading to next summer’s Women’s World Cup either. Here’s how it went down and what’s still at stake.

🔎 ICYMI: There’s been a disappointing lack of WAFCON coverage, and this tourney certainly deserves a bigger spotlight. All four semifinalists — Algeria, Cameroon, Morocco, and Malawi — have automatically qualified for the World Cup, plus the $2M purse. And while four teams celebrate and prepare for the semis, one heavyweight just saw both dreams take a major hit.

💔 The Super Falcons fell 1–0 to Cameroon in yesterday’s quarter-final upset. The Lionesses capitalized on a 20th minute free kick to reach the semis and punch their World Cup ticket, closing the book on Nigeria’s quest for a record-extending 11th WAFCON title and making their path to Brazil a whole lot tougher.

🔒 With the field down to four, the semis kick off Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET with Algeria squaring off against Malawi. Meanwhile, it’s still home sweet home for hosts Morocco, who return to the semis against Cameroon at 4 p.m. ET. More to come closer to kickoff — can’t wait.

In sports (and in life), the final score is only part of the story. If you’re looking to level up your sports fandom beyond touchdowns and tip-offs, we have just the thing: The GIST’s women’s sports business newsletter.

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