The WNBA found itself in controversy within 90 seconds of the first 2024 playoff game starting. During the Indiana Fever’s Game One in the best-of-three first-round series against the Connecticut Sun, Caitlyn Clark was left with a black eye. Rival guard Dijai Carrington poked the unanimous Rookie of the Year winner in the right eye.

Moreover, the foul went uncalled despite Clark falling to the ground in obvious pain. Fans were furious, labeling Carrington’s move as intentional. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy also joined the thousands on social media in bashing the WNBA. He wrote on X, “Why does the WNBA let players wear gigantic nails if they use them as weapons? We’re lucky CC didn’t lose an eye here. Reminder: no foul call, and Caitlyn played with one eye the rest of the game and had her worst shooting performance in months after this.”

This might explain why Clark had one of her worst shooting nights since joining the WNBA. She only shot 23.5%—four of 17 from the field, including two of 11 from three. Furthermore, the Fever got thumped by Connecticut, 93-69, and now face the threat of early elimination. Kelsey Mitchell’s 21 points and Aaliyah Boston’s 11 rebounds were the only silver linings.

The more experienced Sun, on the back of mid-season acquisition Marina Mabrey’s game-high 27 points and Alyssa Thomas’ 15th career triple-double, dominated the Fever. As a result, Caitlyn Clark’s loss of performance under pressure left many fans irate. But was it the eye injury that caused her struggles?

Caitlyn Clark owns up to her mistakes after the Indiana Fever’s crushing loss. After Clark was hit in the eye, she briefly joined the bench when the Fever called a timeout. Despite the pain, she chose to continue playing, contributing eight assists in her 36 minutes on the court—a small consolation.In the postgame press conference, Clark did not blame Dijai Carrington’s “dirty move” for her failure.