Caitlin Clark, preparing for a win-or-go-home playoff game against the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday, responded to allegations that DiJonai Carrington intentionally poked her in the eye during Game 1.
Carrington blasted 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. The ‘poke’ quickly morphed into a black eye that still to this day appears swollen.
Fans were outraged over the no-call.
Carrington scoffed at the notion that she would intentionally poke Clark in the eye. In fact, she said the contact was so incidental that she didn’t even know she had done it.
“I don’t even know why I would intend to hit anybody in the eye,” Carrington told a reporter. “That doesn’t even make sense to me. But no, I didn’t.”
“I didn’t know I hit her, actually. I was trying to make a play on the ball, and I guess I followed through and I hit her,” the Connecticut guard said. “Obviously it’s never intentional. That’s not even the type of player that I am.”
Caitlin Clark Responds To DiJonai Carrington Incident
An alternate-angle version of the incident prompted social media to speculate that perhaps the eye poke wasn’t accidental. Several observers suggest that Carrington led fingers-first on purpose.
But Caitlin Clark herself wasn’t having any of the criticism toward DiJonai Carrington.
“It wasn’t intentional by any means,” Clark said. “Just watch the play.”
Clark was also classy with her response after her first playoff game in which she truly struggled to shoot following the black eye. Clark finished with 11 points on less than 24% shooting from the floor.
“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.”
Focused On The Game
Fans noted that DiJonai Carrington has a history of trash-talking Caitlin Clark on and off the court. Earlier in the WNBA season, The Sun player was booed by her own fans after mocking Clark on the floor.
Carrington also criticized Clark for trying to focus on basketball when some of her fans, according to Carrington, are using the Indiana rookie “to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia & the intersectionalities.”
Clark continues to be focused on basketball despite the noise. In particular, she and the Fever have their backs against the wall heading into Game 2 Wednesday night.
“I don’t want this to end. … I feel like it’s been a very special year for our organization and our goal is to get to the playoffs, but everybody in our locker room believes we can win this series,” she said.
“This is obviously a must-win for us and we believe we can come in here and win that.”
Hopefully, Clark will be at 100% healthwise and will be able to actually see the basket she’s shooting toward.
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