It was supposed to be the moment! June 27th, the showdown everyone had marked in red. Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings. Two No. 1 picks. Two generational stars. The matchup of the season. But just when the hype hit its peak, Caitlin Clark’s injury hit pause on the fireworks. Well, round two is here. And while the buzz around Bueckers vs. Clark is already heating up the timeline, the Fever star might just find herself caught in an entirely different crossfire- and it has nothing to do with rival young guns or All-Star debates.
We all know this season has been rough for the Wings. Despite drafting a whole UConn national champion, they’ve been hovering at the bottom of the standings. And just when things couldn’t get worse, their two biggest names – Arike Ogunbowale and DiJonai Carrington – have been MIA. Now, while the Fever have had their fair share of bumps and bruises, they’re actually coming into this one pretty healthy.
For Wings, though, Carrington is still out. In case you don’t remember, she got hurt on June 20 after taking a hard chest hit in a game against the Sun. She didn’t travel to Phoenix, didn’t suit up against the Sky, and we still don’t know how serious it is. The silence around her status is kinda loud.
But amid all the injury updates and the Clark-Bueckers buzz, we forgot one storyline. That eye poke? Back in last year’s playoffs, Game 1 between the Fever and Sun, CC took a hit to the eye from then-Connecticut guard Carrington. It was 90 seconds into the game and Clark hit the floor in pain. No foul was called and play continued as Clark was in obvious pain from the play.
Jun 19, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
“Obviously, she got me pretty good in the eye,” Clark said later. Nai also kept it real, saying, “I don’t even know why I would intend to hit anybody in the eye.” But the internet wasn’t having it. That clip went everywhere and Clark fans were fuming, and it quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the postseason.
Fast forward to now , the roles have kinda flipped. With Carrington out again and Clark back in action, Wings fans are having a field day online, mocking CC.
Caitlin Clark catches strays from Wings fans
Fans wasted no time jumping with some not-so-subtle jabs at Clark. One said, “Thank you Lord for protecting the best PG in the league,” a comment that, on the surface, may sound like a compliment but everyone knew it was aimed squarely at CC. The joke was that she’s now “safe” with Carrington not in the game. But does this mean that whole eye-poke drama is resurfacing for the first time? Well… not exactly.
Just a few days ago, that exact September incident got dug back up thanks to the rising buzz around On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women’s Sports, a book by Christine Brennan. In it, Brennan recounted how she asked Carrington whether the poke was intentional and whether Marina Mabrey, Carrington’s then-teammate, had laughed about it, something fans on social media have speculated since day one. Carrington denied it all. She said she didn’t poke Clark on purpose and definitely didn’t laugh with Mabrey.
But after CNN Sports posted an excerpt from Brennan’s book this past Sunday, Carrington didn’t hold back. She responded with some very telling emojis – a cap (meaning “lie”) and a Pinocchio nose – before following it up with a bold accusation: “defamation of character atp .” Meanwhile, fans weren’t done mocking Clark.
Along with multiple laughing emojis and funny reaction by different users, another added, “That means Caitlin will actually act like a tough guy if Nai ain’t playing.” Now Nai’s built up quite the rep for being a physical player, and we’ve Clark has been allegedly targeted by her peers since rookie season. So fans know what they’re implying. But not to forget, Indy’s not exactly short on grit this time, Sophie Cunningham is right there, and she has low-key become Clark’s enforcer. Remember the Jack Sheldon foul? But whether or not Clark plays “tough guy,” what fans really want to see is her getting back to form.
Thank you Lord for protecting the best pg in the league https://t.co/WqOMmZjSPc
— tek (@sched_conflict) July 12, 2025
Then someone else chimed in with, “Running from the smoke huh?” But you know that eye-poke incident was never this big mystery from the players’ side. Clark made it clear at that time only, “It wasn’t intentional by any means.” And if you look back at the tape, Clark was just passing the ball to Aliyah Boston in the paint when Carrington tried to make a play and accidentally caught her in the eye. So even then, Clark didn’t escalate it. It was always the internet that ran with it, and clearly, they still are.
One Wings fan took things in another direction, saying, “I think she’s lost that title with all these disgusting shooting performances,” referring to Clark’s “best PG in the league” crown. Statistically speaking, the numbers haven’t been great for Clark lately. In her last three games leading up to the July 10 matchup, she went just 1-of-23 from three-point range – that’s 4.3%. And even including the loss to the Valkyries, she’s only slightly improved to 3-of-28, or 10.7%. Historically bad. That 10.7% over a four-game span is the worst in WNBA history for a player with at least 25 attempts.
But it’s Clark. There’s always the chance she snaps out of it and drops 30 when no one’s expecting it. Let’s just say all eyes will be on her.
And while most of the talk was centered around Clark and Carrington, one fan went totally off-script and asked, “What about Arike? Is she back?” Thankfully for Dallas, it looks like they might be getting some help. Ogunbowale is officially listed as probable for Sunday. There was already buzz that she could return Friday after rejoining practice, but now it’s looking even more likely she’s suiting up for game action.
So, all in all, this game is going to be interesting for sure. The spotlight’s back on two of the league’s brightest young stars meeting for the first time as pros. Neither team is quite where they thought they’d be. The Fever are sitting right at .500 with a 10-10 record, and the Wings are 6-15. But Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers are both having standout seasons in their own right, and with all the noise building up, let’s see who takes it home.
The post WNBA Fans Mock Caitlin Clark Following Dallas Wings Roster News Ahead of Indiana Fever Showdown appeared first on EssentiallySports.