Caitlin Clark’s WNBA playoff debut ends with a loss and a black eye

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Not two minutes into her playoff debut, Caitlin Clark was on the hardwood clutching her face thanks to an inadvertent poke in the eye. The Indiana Fever star’s first taste of the WNBA postseason was bitter, nothing like her team’s charmed run since the Olympic break, and the blow left her bruised. By game’s end, she was sporting a black eye. Playoff dues must be paid by all; Clark, the most exceptional WNBA rookie in recent years, is no exception. The Connecticut Sun’s stout defense stymied Clark as it pulled away in the second half for a 93-69 blowout victory in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series Sunday afternoon at Mohegan Sun Arena. The sixth-seeded Fever faces elimination in Game 2 on Wednesday night against the third-seeded Sun, needing a win to send the best-of-three series to Indianapolis. The Sun opened with 6-foot-4 forward DeWanna Bonner covering Clark, a move aimed at using her size and length to frustrate the 6-foot rookie. Bonner’s attentive defense enabled Connecticut to single-cover Clark for most of the first half, limiting her driving opportunities and forcing Indiana to look elsewhere for offense. Advertisement With nothing coming easily and her outside shot rimming off, a frustrated Clark chased her losses to finish with 11 points on 4-for-17 shooting. Named the rookie of the year earlier in the day by the Associated Press, Clark missed her first eight three-pointers and finished 2 for 13 from beyond the arc. Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 21 points on 9-for-20 shooting, but Clark’s struggles kept the Fever from keeping pace when the Sun closed the first half with a 10-2 run and blew open the contest with a 25-12 fourth quarter. “[Connecticut’s DiJonai Carrington] got me pretty good in the eye,” Clark said. I had three pretty wide-open threes in the first half that you usually make, so that’s tough. I felt like we just played a crappy game.” Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark sporting a black eye after Game 1 loss to Connecticut Sun pic.twitter.com/oK8Fo00AHA — Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) September 22, 2024 The Sun, which has reached the WNBA Finals four times in the past 20 years, seemed to relish its role hazing the Fever newcomers. Before tip-off, the video board displayed a “bandwagon cam” that mocked “loyal Fever fans since 2024,” and the public-address announcer dismissively raced through Indiana’s starting lineup. Advertisement Thousands of Clark fans, donning Fever and University of Iowa gear, made the trip, but they were drowned out by the orange-clad Connecticut contingent. The 37-year-old Bonner, who had 22 points, six rebounds and five assists, made her 81st playoff appearance Sunday. When the two-time WNBA champion made her postseason debut in 2009, Clark was 7 years old. Former Maryland star Alyssa Thomas, 32, put together a triple-double (12 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists) in her 41st playoff game. “[The Sun is] a really good team with a lot of experience,” Fever Coach Christie Sides said. We’ve got to close that gap.” Advertisement There was a clunkiness to Clark’s highly anticipated opener, which was broadcast on ABC opposite NFL games on Fox and CBS, that the Fever never escaped. During Clark’s pregame warmups, she cast aside a black pair of her preferred Kobe Bryant signature Nike sneakers that seemed to be bothering her in favor of a light blue pair. Once the game started, the Fever almost immediately had to burn a challenge to overturn a mistaken foul call on Aliyah Boston, then Clark hit the deck moments later. Clark’s shoulders slumped when she missed a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer, and she raised her arms in frustration when she couldn’t get going early in the third quarter. Advertisement But Clark made no excuses after a game that recalled Bryant’s struggles as a rookie, when the Los Angeles Lakers legend tossed up a series of air balls against the Utah Jazz in the 1997 playoffs. – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/09/22/caitlin-clark-wnba-debut-fever-sun/