Caitlin Clark Doesn't Believe DiJonai Carrington Hit Her Eye on Purpose in Game 1

Game 1 of the first round was a punishing one for the Fever guard.

May 14, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington (21) drives the ball against Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) in the second half at Mohegan Sun Arena. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has achieved a rare level of fame in basketball—the kind of fame where any hard foul immediately becomes a story.

So it went Sunday during the Connecticut Sun's 93–69 win over the Fever in Game 1 of the WNBA playoffs' first round. With about eight and a half minutes left in the first quarter and the Sun up 3–2, Clark dribbled inside Connecticut's three-point line, passed the ball, and took a painful poke in the eye by Sun guard and forward DiJonai Carrington.

On Tuesday, Clark told reporters she did not believe the poke was intentional.

"It wasn’t intentional by any means," Clark said via Matthew Byrne of ClutchPoints. "You just watched the play, it wasn’t intentional."

Asked Caitlin Clark on what she’d say to the crowd that thinks the Carrington hit to her eye was on purpose: “It wasn’t intentional by any means. You just watched the play, it wasn’t intentional.” pic.twitter.com/HiMNiibpy5

— Matthew Byrne (@MatthewByrne1) September 24, 2024

Clark recovered from the poke to score 11 points, pull down four rebounds, and give out eight assists. Carrington tallied 14 points and five boards for her victorious Connecticut team.

Game 2 between the league's No. 3 and No. 6 seeds is Wednesday in Uncasville, Conn.

More of the Latest Around the WNBA

feed