Dijonai Carrington poked Caitlin Clark in the right eye during Game 1 of the WNBA Round 1 playoffs. This controversial incident led to a flurry of questions from journalists about her intent behind this play. This prompted Josh Hart to come to the Connecticut Sun star’s rescue and boldly shut down the critics.
Advertisement
The New York Knicks star urged the WNBA’s regulatory body to step in and protect Carrington. He believed they should revoke the credentials of reporters who cast her in a negative light with their dubious line of questioning. He wrote on X,
“They need to start taking media credentials away for stupid questions like this.”
They need to start taking media credentials away for stupid questions like this https://t.co/5NGG4mzZvI
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) September 24, 2024
Hart‘s frustration surfaced following a recent courtside interview from the Sun’s practice session at Mohegan Sun Arena. USA Today columnist, Christine Brennan, directly asked Carrington whether she intended to hurt Clark with her long fingernails. The reporter later even boasted about this moment on X. She shared the interview clip with the caption,
“I asked DiJonai Carrington about that moment early in Sunday’s Indiana-Connecticut game when she caught Caitlin Clark in the eye. Here’s her answer.”
This question seemingly caught Carrington off guard. However, she remained composed and responded,
“I don’t even know why I would intend to hit anybody in the eye. That doesn’t even make sense to me. But, no I didn’t. I didn’t know I hit her actually. I was trying to make a play on the ball and I guess I followed through and I hit her. It’s never intentional. That’s not even the type of player that I am.”
I asked DiJonai Carrington about that moment early in Sunday’s Indiana-Connecticut game when she caught Caitlin Clark in the eye. Here’s her answer: pic.twitter.com/DnQVYi0r6J
— Christine Brennan (@cbrennansports) September 24, 2024
While Carrington handled the situation like a professional, Brennan’s line of questioning didn’t sit well with WNBA fans. It painted the 26-year-old as guilty of misconduct she didn’t admittedly commit. Hart’s counter thus garnered widespread support from the community.
What did Clark have to say about Carrington’s actions?
The drama unfolded in the opening minutes of Game 1. After Clark made an impressive pass over Carrington’s head, she suddenly found herself kneeling on the floor. This left the spectators in shock. An initial review soon cleared the air. It showcased that Carrington’s long fingernails had inadvertently poked the Fever rookie in the eye as she attempted to block the pass.
Tension peaked shortly after. A closer pan-and-zoom view raised suspicions. It caught Carrington seemingly directing her nails toward Clark’s eye during her follow-through. Many started speculating that the Sun star might have intentionally targeted the 22-year-old.
However, this outside noise didn’t sway Clark’s feelings toward Carrington. In an interview with the Fever’s beat reporter, Matthew Byrne, she stood up for her rival’s actions, stating,
“It wasn’t intentional by any means. You just watched the play, it wasn’t intentional.”
Asked Caitlin Clark on what she’d say to the crowd that thinks the Carrington hit to her eye was on purpose: “It wasn’t intentional by any means. You just watched the play, it wasn’t intentional.” pic.twitter.com/HiMNiibpy5
— Matthew Byrne (@MatthewByrne1) September 24, 2024
This declaration added volume to Hart’s bold claim while raising further questions about Brennan’s ethics. At the same time, it has set the perfect stage for a high-voltage Game 2 in Montville, Connecticut.