The Indiana Fever’s first playoff game in several years didn’t go according to plan. They got steamrolled by the Connecticut Sun on Sunday. Star rookie Caitlin Clark had an atrocious night from the field, shooting 23.5% and 15.3% from downtown.
Clark is refusing to make excuses for the performance. But she might have a legitimate excuse.
Not even two minutes into the contest, Connecticut guard DiJonai Carrington poked Clark in the eye after missing a block attempt. No foul was called on the play, but the Fever guard was clearly in a bit of agony.
Photos emerged shortly thereafter showing clearly that the ‘poke’ was quickly morphing into a black eye. Fans were outraged over the no-call, but Clark took things in stride after the game.
“I don’t think it affected me. I got good shots, they didn’t go down. It’s a tough time for that to happen. Had three wide open in first half that I usually make,” she told reporters, according to the Daily Mail.
“It didn’t feel good when it happened but I don’t think it affected me.”
Clark finished with 11 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, and one block in the contest, despite getting a digit to the cranium to start the game.
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Did DiJonai Carrington Get Caitlin Clark On Purpose?
Caitlin Clark handling the injury and whatever back story there might be involving DiJonai Carrington with all class is exactly what we’ve come to expect from the league’s most vital player.
Fans on social media weren’t nearly as forgiving, pointing out that getting hit in the eye hard enough to cause bruising can certainly affect your game.
And fans were even less forgiving when a new angle on the offending finger of doom emerged, causing several observers to suggest that Carrington led fingers-first on purpose.
When I first saw the alternate angle claims on X, I really didn’t want to go down that rabbit hole. Especially with Carrington’s past comments about Clark.
That said, it’s very rare for someone going for a block to all of a sudden angle all of their fingers down and straight into the face of their opponent.
Naturally, Clark fans agreed that there was something untoward in Carrington’s actions while the Caitlin haters all backed DiJonai.
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Carrington Seems To Have A Grudge
Earlier in the WNBA season, DiJonai Carrington was booed by her own fans after mocking Clark on the floor. Carrington was called for a foul, then proceeded to mock her as if she had flopped.
After Angel Reese was called for a flagrant foul on Clark, Carrington blasted fans who took issue with it.
“Unfortunately for yall new fAnS, we do not just ‘shut up and dribble’ here,” she wrote. “Ya picked the wrong league.”
She also tried to create a racial issue out of Clark suggesting she’d rather ignore people using her to push an alleged agenda and focus on basketball instead.
“How one can not be bothered by their name being used to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia & the intersectionalities of them all is nuts,” Carrington wrote.
Hopefully, Clark’s eye heals before they play a win-or-go-home game against the Sun on Wednesday. If the Sun were to win, I’m sure Carrington and her teammates would rather it be against the unanimous Rookie of the Year playing at 100%.
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