Caitlin Clarks first postseason game of her WNBA career was far from what she probably expected.
The Indiana Fever rookie was hit in the eye by Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington in the first quarter, and that was just the start of a tough day.
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September 22, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts to a foul during the first quarter during Game One of the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. (Mark Smith-Imagn Images)
Clark had 11 points and was 2-of-13 from 3-point range in 36 minutes as Indiana lost the game 93-69.
“Obviously I got hit in the eye pretty good; I don’t think it affected me, to be honest,” Clark told reporters after the game. “I felt like I got good shots, they just weren’t going down. Obviously it’s tough for that, but I looked pretty good. I had three pretty wide-open 3s in the first half like you usually do, so I felt like [I] fought and did my best.
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September 22, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) warms up before game one of the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. (Mark Smith-Imagn Images)
“We were right there. I just felt like we played a crappy game. The flow of the game was really bad.”
She played the rest of the game with a black eye.
Clark was appointed AP WNBA Rookie of the Year earlier in the day, but her shooting performance underscored the struggles of the entire team.
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever looks on during the game against the Connecticut Sun during round one of game one of the 2024 WNBA playoffs on September 22, 2024, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
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The Fever was 6-of-28 from 3-point range and shot 40.3% from the field overall. Kelsey Mitchell led the way with 21 points for the Fever. Aliyah Boston had 17 points and 11 rebounds.
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