Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark made her highly anticipated playoff debut on September 22nd, but it didn’t go as expected. After an impressive season, Clark struggled in this game, possibly due to the physicality of the Connecticut Sun. In the first quarter, Clark took a hit to the eye from DiJonai Carrington, leaving her with a black eye that may have affected her performance. In a post-game interview, Clark acknowledged the impact, noting, “Obviously, she got me pretty good in the eye.”
This incident brought back memories of a similar situation involving Breanna Stewart last year when the Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas inadvertently struck Stewart in the face, leaving her with a noticeable black eye. Some fans even speculated that Thomas’ foul was not entirely accidental, as she had been involved in other physical plays, including a near miss with Aliyah Boston.
Despite the injury, Stewart managed to finish that game with a strong stat line, though her performance was less dominant than her previous game. Similarly, Clark was visibly affected by her injury, recording just 11 points on 4-17 shooting, well below her usual standards. Whether the injury or the Sun’s defense was the primary cause of her struggles is unclear, but Clark will look to bounce back in the next game, which is a must-win for the Fever.
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