Caitlin Clark says DiJonai Carrington eye poke 'wasn't intentional,' bruise healing well

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Any assumption DiJonai Carrington intentionally hit Caitlin Clark in the face is not true, the Indiana Fever star said. Maybe even laughable.

“It wasn’t intentional by any means, just watch the play," Clark said Tuesday with a laugh. "It wasn’t intentional.”

While making a play on the ball on in Game 1 of their WNBA playoffs series Sunday afternoon, Carrington accidentally hit Clark in the eye. There was no foul on the play, and Clark fell to the ground in pain just 90 seconds into the game. After the Fever called timeout, Clark collected herself and didn't check out of the game.

Clark finished the game shooting just 4-of-17 from the field in a 93-69 loss , but she said the black eye did not affect her shooting at all . For her, it was just an off shooting night.

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Was it a foul? Probably. But it also was a basketball play. It was a competitor trying to make a play on the ball ahead of a pass.

At one point during the game, Clark inadvertently hit Carrington in the face, too, knocking Carrington's contact out.

"I just, I don't even know why I would intend to hit anybody in the eye," Carrington said in response to a question asking if the hit was intentional. "That just doesn't 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, and I guess I followed through and hit her. That's not the type of player that I am."

At this point, two days later, the bruise on Clark's right eye is barely noticeable. There is minimal (if any swelling) and a tiny cut under her eye, but it isn't affecting her game.

"It feels good," Clark said with a smile. "It looks OK too."

The outrage on social media though, has persisted through the two days since the game happened. It's part of the double-edged sword that has come with more fans and more attention on the league this year: everything players do is under a microscope, no matter what.

"We all see it," Carrington said of talks on social media. "It is what it is. I think that at the end of the day, I know who I am, and I know what type of person and player I am, and the people who know me know that as well ... It is what it is. People are gonna talk, but like we've been doing all season, we're gonna keep talking on the court."

Follow IndyStar Fever Insider Chloe Peterson on X at @chloepeterson67.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Caitlin Clark says DiJonai Carrington eye poke 'wasn't intentional,' bruise healing well