The Dallas Wings can’t seem to catch a break this season, and Friday night only added more fuel to the fire. With another tough loss pushing their record to 1-8, the team’s identity crisis deepened. But the real storm hit after a controversial moment involving guard DiJonai Carrington.

During the Wings’ 93-79 home loss to the Los Angeles Sparks, Carrington found herself in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. In the third quarter, while scrambling for a loose ball in the paint, Carrington went down, and took a Sparks defender with her.

What caught everyone’s attention wasn’t just the fall, but the fact that she grabbed the defender’s shoulder and appeared to yank her hair on the way down.

Pattern That’s Hard To Ignore

Dallas Wings guard DiJonai Carrington (Photo By Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images)

Wings play-by-play announcer Ron Thulin reacted in real-time, saying, “Whoa! If she would’ve had extensions, it would’ve come off.” The officials called it a loose ball foul and moved on. But social media didn’t. Clips of the incident went viral within minutes, with fans and analysts alike accusing Carrington of going too far.

This wasn’t an isolated moment. Earlier in the week, Carrington came under fire for a flagrant foul against Seattle Storm’s Skylar Diggins during a fast break. That play also triggered online backlash, with fans calling her style reckless. Carrington didn’t hold back when she responded to the criticism. “Yall fAnS swear i’m such a dirty player… I’m ALWAYS tryna make a play on the ball nun more, nun less,” she posted, defending her aggressive approach to the game.

Still, the latest episode against the Sparks has even her longtime defenders rethinking their stance. Some argue she just plays with heart. Others say there’s a difference between hustle and harming. The league hasn’t issued a statement yet, but the buzz around the hair-pulling incident isn’t fading anytime soon.

Carrington led the Wings with 16 points but also committed seven turnovers, stats that mirrored the team’s current chaos. As Dallas continues to stumble through the season, questions grow louder: Is Carrington just a gritty competitor, or has her physicality crossed the line? Whatever side fans land on, everyone saw what happened, and no one can stop talking about it.