Basketball fans react to an X (formerly Twitter) user comparing Breanna Stewart’s welt in 2023 to Caitlin Clark’s bruise in 2024. [photo: Imagn]

Caitlin Clark had her eye poked by DiJonai Carrington in the Indiana Fever’s Game 1 loss to the Connecticut Sun on Sunday. The play happened with 8:36 remaining in the first quarter as the Fever point guard passed the ball to teammate Aliyah Boston. After the game, the 2024 Rookie of the Year faced the media with a slight bruise under her right eye.

Before the matchup ended, replays of the hit had already gone viral. Some were promptly convinced that Carrington intentionally hit Clark. Sports journalist Jason Whitlock asserted that the Connecticut guard “stabbed” the rookie sensation and called for Carrington’s suspension.

As social media erupted about the hit Caitlin Clark took, an X (formerly Twitter) user brought up a somewhat similar incident that happened last year. Alyssa Thomas, also of the Connecticut Sun, hit Breanna Stewart, causing a huge welt on the New York Liberty superstar’s face.

Fans responded to the X user’s claim about the lack of “uproar” between the hit on Stewart and the incident involving Clark:

“Lol but there should have been. This [Stewart’s] looks way worse.”

@grtinho pushed back:

“This was called a foul, also upgraded to a flagrant, Caitlin’s own wasn’t also. Cos people didn’t care about the league then as much as they do now. HOW IS THIS HARD TO UNDERSTAND?????”

One fan jumped on the same train of thought:

“No one was watching last year.”

Another fan commented:

“Well, it was called a foul on AT and Stewart shot FTs. That’s a pretty big distinction.”

The play between DiJonai Carrington and Caitlin Clark was a no-call, and it remains uncertain if the WNBA will review the play. Alyssa Thomas’ hit against Breanna Stewart resulted in a foul and was later upgraded to a flagrant.

Clark shrugged off the eye poke, refusing to blame the incident for her rough shooting night. However, many basketball fans on social media were convinced the hit had a big impact on her performance. Discussions about that play aren’t likely to end soon as the Fever and the Sun face each other again on Wednesday.

Caitlin Clark was adamant the eye poke had nothing to do with her shooting struggles in Game 1

In the postgame conference, the talk that dominated Game 1 of the Fever-Sun series wasn’t Connecticut’s blowout win. The spotlight was on Caitlin Clark’s performance, which showed 11 points on 4 for 17 shooting, including a horrendous 2 for 13 clip from deep. She was inevitably asked about the first-quarter hit to her eye.

Clark had this to say about the eye poke:

“I don’t think it affected me. I got good shots, they didn’t go down. It’s a tough time for that to happen. Had three wide-open [3s] in the first half that I usually make. It didn’t feel good when it happened, but I don’t think it affected me.”

Caitlin Clark added that she is confident the Indiana Fever could bounce back. Bruise or no bruise, basketball fans are eagerly waiting to see if she can respond to adversity.