The Big Lead

Caitlin Clark says Christine Brennan's eye poke questioning 'was not appropriate'

By Joe Lago

Jun 10, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) moves the ball against Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington (21) in the first quarter at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Jun 10, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) moves the ball against Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington (21) in the first quarter at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images
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No, DiJonai Carrington's eye poke was not intentional. And yes, Christine Brennan was wrong to ask Carrington if her actions were on purpose.

Caitlin Clark provided the final say over Carrington's poking of Clark's eye last September in her interiew with Time as the magazine's Athlete of the Year. And the Indiana Fever star guard still finds the controversy annoying because she never believed Carrington poked her eye on purpose in a 93-69 loss to the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA playoff opener of the teams' first-round series.

RELATED: Caitlin Clark says college basketball's lack of 'IQ' slowed her WNBA transition

“Never once did that cross my mind, that it was on purpose," Clark told Time's Sean Gregory. "I’ve been poked in the eye many times playing basketball. It happens."

"If that would have happened in the NBA, do you think people would have showed up the next day and been like, 'Hey, Tyrese Haliburton, did you poke Steph Curry in the eye on purpose?'" Clark added.

The incident continued the season-long narrative of WNBA opponents playing aggressively against Clark, and it prompted Brennan to seek answers from Carrington.

The USA Today columnist asked Carrington if she intended "to hit (Clark) in the eye." After Carrington refuted the notion that she sought to injure Clark, Brennan then asked why Carrington and teammate Marina Mabrey were allegedly caught on camera "laughing."

"I can't laugh about something I didn't know happened," Carrington replied.

The WNBA players union deemed Brennan's interview as "unprofessional" and called for USA Today to discipline her.

"You have abused your privileges and do not deserve credentials issued to you," the WNBPA said in its rebuke of Brennan. "And you certainly are not entitled to any interviews with the members of this union or any other athlete in sport."

Clark told Time that she wasn't aware of the union's response but backed its call to have Brennan reprimanded.

“That whole line of questioning that (Carrington) got was not appropriate, and I did not like that,” Clark said.

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