There's no denying that Caitlin Clark has grown the game. Since being drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever, she's drawn thousands and thousands of eyes to the WNBA. The Clark craze is real.
Unfortunately, many new "fans" who think they're doing Clark a favor have been spewing a lot of hate, which has hurt the game. Naturally, the WNBA is much more physical than what Clark was accustomed to in college. The same goes for the NBA. It's nothing new.
Clark apparently isn't allowed to be touched on the court, so much so that every foul (and non-foul) against her is scrutinized. The dialogue goes on for days. The latest example of this involves DiJonai Carrington. The Suns guard inadvertently poked Clark in the eye when she tried to swat the rookie's pass, creating a bruise.
Dijonai Carrington caught Caitlin Clark in the eye on a follow through and the referees missed it pic.twitter.com/djKKqwLkVp
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) September 22, 2024
Should it have been a foul? Yes. Does that mean that it was intentional? No. Did it play a factor in Clark shooting 4-of-17 for 11 points? According to Clark, it didn't.
Instead of focusing on key takeaways (like Alyssa Thomas' triple-double) from Connecticut's 93-69 win over Indiana, people who haven't watched much basketball have made it all about the eye poke. Some have even gone as far as to call for Carrington's suspension, which couldn't be more absurd.
Caitlin Clark says DiJonai Carrington's eye poke wasn't intentional
Clark was asked what she had to say to the people who think Carrington purposefully poked her in the eye during her media availability leading up to Game 2 on Wednesday. The rookie said it was evident from watching the play that it wasn't intentional.
Caitlin Clark, laughing, on what she would say to people who thought Sunday’s hit was intentional:
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) September 24, 2024
“It wasn’t intentional by any means, just watch the play. It wasn’t intentional.”
Says her eye isn’t bothering her, and there is little (if any) swelling. pic.twitter.com/TU6pJYYS1f
Carrington was also asked about it, and she said she didn't intend to poke Clark in the eye.
DiJonai Carrington on the play: “I just, I don't even know why I would intend to hit anybody in the eye. 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.” pic.twitter.com/d7jelIfbAT
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) September 24, 2024
We shouldn't still be having this discussion two days later. Clark's primary focus is on keeping the Fever's season alive beyond Wednesday night, not about an eye poke in the first quarter of Sunday's game. It's wrong to villainize Carrington for playing basketball (because that's all she was doing).
It's not the first time Clark has taken contact, and it won't be the last. Carrington has also been on the receiving end of accidental hits.
It shouldn't be too much to ask if everyone can focus on what matters. Clark's eye is fine. There's no bad blood between the two because of the play. What matters is the decisive Game 2 on the way.