Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington played well enough this season to convince WNBA voters to award her with the league’s “Most Improved” player award.
Carrington’s explanation for why she gave Indiana Fever star rookie Caitlin Clark a black eye in Game 1 of their WNBA first round playoff series?
That wasn’t nearly as convincing — though it may not ultimately matter.
To wit, during Sunday’s 93-69 Sun win over the Fever, Carrington was defending Clark in the first half.
Carrington lifted her hand to try and contest a pass attempt from Clark, but ended up poking the Fever rookie in the eye.
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
A different angle of the incident also showed a peculiar hand motion from Carrington:
🚨Video evidence suggests Dijonai Carrington may have intentionally hit Caitlin Clark early in the first quarter of the Sun v. Fever playoff game, resulting in a black eye.
No foul was called. The #WNBA needs to investigate immediately. Does this look unintentional to you? pic.twitter.com/ue2Sf03e9O
— The Boston Post (@ABostonPost) September 23, 2024
Do you think DiJonai Carrington intentionally hit Caitlin Clark in the eye?
Yes: 98% (168 Votes)
No: 2% (3 Votes)
Clark crumpled to the floor, visibly in pain, but the refs missed the call, further enraging observers and Fever fans.
Many comments on social media echoed that of one particularly upset WNBA fan on social media platform X, who demanded a hefty punishment: “The [WNBA] needs to suspend her immediately and impose a major fine.”
Adding insult and injury, the poke was bad enough to leave Clark with a small shiner after the game:
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark sporting a black eye after Game 1 loss to Connecticut Sun pic.twitter.com/oK8Fo00AHA
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) September 22, 2024
Given the enormous popularity of Clark, Carrington’s well-documented history with her and that oddball hand motion, many viewers assumed that the eye-poke was maliciously intentional.
USA Today’s Christine Brennan asked Carrington about that intention. Here’s how the WNBA’s newly minted “Most Improved Player” responded:
I asked DiJonai Carrington about that moment early in Sunday’s Indiana-Connecticut game when she caught Caitlin Clark in the eye. Here’s her answer: pic.twitter.com/DnQVYi0r6J
— Christine Brennan (@cbrennansports) September 24, 2024
“I just, I don’t even know why I would intend to hit anybody in the eye,” Carrington began when Brennan bluntly asked if the eye-poke was intentional. “That doesn’t even make sense to me. But, no I didn’t [intentionally poke Clark’s eye].
“I didn’t know I hit her, actually.”
As every basketball player who’s ever committed a foul before has liked to claim, Carrington argued that she was trying to make a play on the ball, and that Clark’s cornea was simply collateral damage.
The response to Brennan’s questioning was decidedly split.
Some felt that Brennan crossed a line by flatly asking if Carrington intentionally maimed Clark.
Others, however, simply weren’t buying Carrington’s claim that “I didn’t know I hit her.”
That all being said, arguing with Carrington may be moot at this point, because Clark, as she often does, took a notably high road when asked about the incident in question.
Caitlin Clark, laughing, on what she would say to people who thought Sunday’s hit was intentional:
“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
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) September 24, 2024
In a clip shared by Fever beat reporter Chloe Peterson, Clark was asked to address any viewers who felt that Carrington’s eye-poke was intentional.
“It wasn’t intentional, by any means,” a bemused Clark said with a smile. “You just watch the play. It wasn’t intentional.”
Game 2 between the Fever and Sun was scheduled to tip off in Connecticut Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
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