Caitlin Clark’s first season in the WNBA is over, with the Indiana Fever getting swept in the playoffs on Wednesday night, losing a second-straight game to the Connecticut Sun.
The Fever rookie, who was named the unanimous AP WNBA Rookie of the Year on Sunday, should look back on her first season in the pros with some fondness despite the early postseason exit, as it would have been a reach to suggest that there might be a championship win at the end of her first term.
Clark led all scorers with 25 points on the night, adding nine assists and six rebounds. She also set a record on the night, becoming the first WNBA rookie to register at least 25 points, five assists, and five rebounds in a playoff game, as well as the youngest to do so.
Loss aside, the game was an ugly one for the Fever. The superstar rookie got into it with a fan at one point, while supporters in the stands have complained about some racist behavior that took place off the court.
What a rookie season for Caitlin Clark 👏
🏀 2024 WNBA All-Star
🏀 2024 WNBA assists leader
🏀 Led Indiana to their first playoff appearance in 8 years
🏀 19.2 PPG
🏀 8.4 APG
🏀 5.7 RPG pic.twitter.com/921IzxXnyD— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 26, 2024
WNBA Fan Details “Horrendous” Experience During Indiana Fever Loss
One such attendee outlined her experience, claiming her partner had to put a stop to a woman mocking the Sun’s DiJonai Carrington.
“I’m at the Sun/Fever game and the vibe is HORRENDOUS,” she wrote. The woman behind me was mocking DiJonai’s eyelashes & only stopped when my partner turned around & told her to stop being racist. There’s a man in a MAGA hat. Then there’s THIS woman in a “ban nails” shirt & cartoonishly fake nails,”
I’m at the Sun/Fever game and the vibe is HORRENDOUS. The woman behind me was mocking DiJonai’s eyelashes & only stopped when my partner turned around & told her to stop being racist. There’s a man in a MAGA hat. Then there’s THIS woman in a “ban nails” shirt & cartoonishly fake… pic.twitter.com/wxasTb3DaQ
— Frankie de la Cretaz (@thefrankiedlc) September 26, 2024
I had the misfortune of sharing a row with Lady Misogynoir at tonight’s #ConnecticutSun game
Photo descriptions: a woman in a blue shirt that says “BAN NAILS” with long paper mocking acrylic nails that are commonly worn by Black women and notably by Sun player DiJonai Carrington https://t.co/VufQyIOi6Z pic.twitter.com/2yo90eyyf0
— Chanda Prescod-Weinstein (@IBJIYONGI) September 26, 2024
I’m at the Sun/Fever game and the vibe is HORRENDOUS. The woman behind me was mocking DiJonai’s eyelashes & only stopped when my partner turned around & told her to stop being racist. There’s a man in a MAGA hat. Then there’s THIS woman in a “ban nails” shirt & cartoonishly fake… pic.twitter.com/wxasTb3DaQ
— Frankie de la Cretaz (@thefrankiedlc) September 26, 2024
“I called some man out last game for making comments about di’s eyelashes too. and he was there with his small child. just disgusting,” someone added in the comments.
While mocking someone’s accessories isn’t necessarily racist, it could come from a place of discriminatory intent.
As for Clark, she claimed to have enjoyed her short spell in the playoffs as it’s a sign of what’s to come.
“It’s a good little taste of what’s possible for this organization and for this franchise,” she told reporters. “There’s a lot for us to hold our heads high about. This team won, I think, five games two years ago. We are a young group, a pretty inexperienced group, but we came together and had a lot of fun playing with one another … proud of this group. Stayed resilient all year and had a lot of fun together.”
