The first postseason game of Caitlin Clark’s WNBA career went very differently than expected.
The Indiana Fever rookie took a hit in the eye from Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington in the first quarter, and that was just the beginning of a rough day.
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September 22, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever defenseman Caitlin Clark (22) reacts to a foul in the first quarter during game one of the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. (Mark Smith-Images)
Clark scored 11 points and made 2 of 13 three-pointers in 36 minutes, and Indiana lost the game 93-69.
“Obviously, he hit me pretty good in the eye; I honestly don’t think it affected me,” Clark told reporters after the game. “I felt like I had good shots, they just didn’t go in. Obviously, that was a tough time, but I had some pretty good chances. I had three pretty free threes in the first half, like you normally do, so I felt like I battled 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-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 named AP WNBA Rookie of the Year earlier in the day, but her shooting performance highlighted the struggles of the entire team.
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever looks on during game against the Connecticut Sun in the first round 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 made 6 of 28 three-point shots and 40.3% of their shots from the field. Kelsey Mitchell was the Fever’s best player with 21 points. Aliyah Boston scored 17 points and 11 rebounds.
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