Satou Sabally Avoids Flagrant on Sophie Cunningham, Assessed Technical for Contact to Face

In a tense moment during the WNBA matchup broadcast on ESPN, a rebounding battle between Satou Sabally and Sophie Cunningham led to a sequence that required careful review from officials, drawing attention from fans and analysts alike.

As the play unfolded, both players were physical in pursuit of the rebound. A missed shot sent the ball down low, where Sabally and Cunningham jockeyed for position. While securing the ball, Sabally kept both hands on it and attempted a pivot. In the process, her elbow rose and made contact with Cunningham’s face, catching her above the shoulders.

Officials Angel Kent, Blanca Burns, and Gerta Gatling immediately paused the action, sending both teams to their benches to conduct a video review. Replays showed that Sabally’s elbow did indeed make contact with Cunningham’s head, but the contact appeared incidental rather than intentional. Sabally never let go of the ball, nor did she throw her elbow in a striking motion—she was simply pivoting as Cunningham’s head entered her immediate space.

Cunningham was visibly shaken and checked to make sure her teeth were intact, highlighting the force of the contact.

While some observers questioned whether the play warranted an upgrade to a flagrant-1 foul—which is defined as unnecessary contact above the shoulders—officials ultimately determined otherwise. The key factor was the lack of a clear elbow swing and the incidental nature of the contact. As the commentary team noted, “If you swing the elbows and make contact, it’s almost always an upgrade, but there wasn’t a whole lot of swinging on this play.”

Instead, Sabally was assessed a technical foul for the dead ball contact to the face. The technical resulted in a single free throw for the opposing team. Meanwhile, it was determined that the initial foul on the play had been committed by Cunningham.

The sequence underscores the fine line officials must walk in determining intent and severity, especially when player safety is involved. In this case, a potentially dangerous play was handled with a measured response, avoiding an escalation to a flagrant foul but still providing a deterrent for unnecessary contact above the shoulders.

Both players remained in the game following the decision, and the contest continued with intensity—demonstrating both the competitive spirit and the sportsmanship at the core of the WNBA.

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