Caitlin Clark brushes off eye injury as catalyst for poor playoff game: 'We played a crappy game'

Caitlin Clark’s archetypal postseason crippled of her WNBA vocation was acold from what she astir apt expected.

The Indiana Fever rookie was smacked successful the eye by Connecticut Sun defender DiJonai Carrington successful the archetypal quarter, and it was conscionable the commencement of a pugnacious day.

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Sep 22, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever defender Caitlin Clark (22) reacts to a foul successful the archetypal 4th during crippled 1 of the archetypal circular of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs astatine Mohegan Sun Arena. (Mark Smith-Imagn Images)

Clark had 11 points and was 2-of-13 from 3-point scope successful 36 minutes arsenic Indiana mislaid the crippled 93-69.

"Obviously, got maine beauteous bully successful the eye; I don’t deliberation it affected me, honestly," Clark told reporters aft the game. "I felt similar I got bully shots, they conscionable didn’t spell down. Obviously, a pugnacious clip for that to happen, but I got immoderate beauteous bully looks. I had 3 beauteous wide unfastened 3s successful the archetypal fractional that you usually make, truthful I felt similar [I] battled and tried my best.

MARINA MABREY'S HISTORIC SHOOTING NIGHT LIFTS SUN OVER FEVER IN PLAYOFF GAME

Sep 22, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever defender Caitlin Clark (22) warms up earlier crippled 1 of the archetypal circular of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs astatine Mohegan Sun Arena. (Mark Smith-Imagn Images)

"We were close there. I conscionable felt similar we played a crappy game. The travel of the crippled was truly bad."

She played the remainder of the crippled with a achromatic eye.

Clark was named the AP WNBA Rookie of the Year earlier successful the day, but her shooting show underscored the struggles by the full team.

Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever looks connected during the crippled against the Connecticut Sun during circular 1 crippled 1 of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs connected September 22, 2024, astatine the Mohegan Sun Arena successful Uncasville, Connecticut. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

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The Fever were 6-of-28 from 3-point scope and changeable 40.3% from the tract successful general. Kelsey Mitchell led the mode with 21 points for the Fever. Aliyah Boston had 17 points and 11 rebounds.

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