Caitlin Clark Getting Poked in the Eye by Dijonai Carrington’s Nails Has Jason Whitlock Raising Questions

Game 1 of the playoffs matchup between the Connecticut Sun and the Indiana Fever was must-watch TV. The drama began when Dijonai Carrington poked Caitlin Clark in the eye with her fingernails. The incident occurred just over a minute into the game. Immediately after Clark made a perfect pass over Carrington’s head, she suddenly found herself kneeling on the floor in pain.

The Fever thus called a timeout to check on their rookie and regroup. The initial review of the sequence suggested that Carrington’s long fake nails had accidentally poked Clark in the right eye. However, a closer pan-and-zoom view revealed a different story. It appeared that Carrington had intentionally directed her nail toward Clark’s eyes.

This controversial instance soon prompted Jason Whitlock to voice serious concerns about player conduct. He shared his view on X to raise concerns about the Sun star’s actions. He also criticized the WNBA’s regulatory body for permitting players to wear such long nails in the first place.

Whitlock‘s frustration led to him calling out the league’s broadcast partner, ESPN, for ignoring this incident during halftime and post-game discussions.

“I said this in real time. It was intentional. ESPN broadcasters didn’t cover it. ESPN filed a story that didn’t cover it. No foul called. Why are they allowed to wear long fingernails? This is ridiculous!”

His stance was justified given the aftermath of the incident. Clark had to nurse this potential injury for the rest of the first quarter. This put the Fever at an early disadvantage and played a pivotal part in their humiliating 69-93 defeat on the road.

Whitlock’s words consequently garnered support from WNBA fans. One of his followers pointed to the impact of eye gouging to back his claims. He discussed how even a combat sport like UFC strictly prohibits such actions, stating,

“Even in the UFC eye gouging is not allowed. Think about that lol.”

Another fan echoed Whitlock’s sentiments. He commented,

“The proof the curled fingers! If she was trying to block the shot her fingers would be fully extended. Jason – great points, including why are long fingernails (weapons) allowed?”

One WNBA viewer prayed for Clark’s speedy recovery. He also pointed out the injustice toward the Fever rookie, saying,

“Hopefully no eye infection from those ridiculous nails. Funny how so few fouls are called on the league’s rookie of the year. Most pro sports go out of their way to protect their MVPs.”

Whitlock’s frustration with the situation grew in the hours that followed. This peaked after ESPN’s post-game review surfaced online. The broadcasters deliberately left out this controversial incident from their coverage. They also framed the narrative in a way that suggested the Sun had ethically shut Clark down during the game.

Neither of these aspects sat well with Whitlock. He called out ESPN once again.

“How the Sun shut down Cailtin Clark? No mention of Dijonai Carrington stabbing Clark in the eye with a fake fingernail in the first 2 minutes. What are we doing?”

None of the parties involved in the incident have commented on it yet. For now, they seem more focused on tomorrow’s matchup. After all, that game presents each player with another chance to make their final statement on the court.