Indiana Fever’s rookie sensation, Caitlin Clark, had her “Welcome to the WNBA Playoffs” moment during Game 1 when Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington accidentally poked her in the eye. Despite the injury, Clark didn’t use it as an excuse for her shooting struggles in the Fever’s 93-69 loss to the Sun on September 22.
“She got me pretty good in the eye,” Clark admitted after the game. “But I don’t think it affected me. I got good shots, they just didn’t go down. It’s tough, but it happens.”
Clark had a rough night offensively, hitting just 4 of 17 shots and going 2 of 13 from beyond the arc. She acknowledged missing a wide-open three-pointer that she would typically make, but instead of focusing on the negatives, she highlighted her improved ball-handling, committing only two turnovers, tying her season-low.
“We were down by three at the end of the first quarter, and five more by the second. We only lost the third by three points,” Clark said, trying to stay positive despite the loss.
While the Fever struggled with their shooting, Clark emphasized that their defensive lapses were the real issue. “We struggled to get stops,” she explained. “The shot clock kept getting messed up. It was one thing after the other. The eye poke didn’t feel great, but it wasn’t the reason we lost.”
Clark Shoulders Responsibility for Marina Mabrey’s Explosive Night
Sun guard Marina Mabrey came off the bench to drop 27 points, the most by any WNBA player off the bench in a playoff game. Mabrey’s hot hand, including five three-pointers, was a game-changer for Connecticut.
Clark took the blame for some of Mabrey’s success. “Our defense could’ve been better,” Clark acknowledged. “Obviously, Marina got hot. She’s a great player, but I had a few defensive lapses.”
Mabrey played extended minutes due to Tyasha Harris’s early-game injury and made all her three-pointers in the second half, pushing the Sun to a comfortable victory.
Clark Unfazed by MVP Snub
Despite her historic rookie season, Clark finished fourth in the MVP voting, with Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson claiming her third MVP trophy, this time unanimously. However, Clark seemed unbothered by the result.
“I mean, it’s cool, but I don’t really care,” Clark said about her fourth-place MVP finish. “My life isn’t really affected by that. My focus is on helping my team win this series, one game at a time.”
Clark’s rookie campaign was filled with record-breaking performances. She set the rookie record for assists with 337, shattered the single-game assist record with 19, and became the first rookie to record a triple-double. Additionally, Clark hit 122 three-pointers, the most by a rookie and the second-most in a single WNBA season by any player.
According to ESPN, her 337 points were the most by any point guard in a single season. She also became the first WNBA rookie to be named both Player of the Month and Rookie of the Month in the same period, and the first to record 20+ points, 15+ assists, and 5+ rebounds in a game.
Despite the accolades, Clark remains focused on her team’s playoff journey, determined to take it one game at a time.
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