Some of the coverage surrounding Caitlin Clark’s rookie season has been less than stellar, and a recent controversy involving the LA Times only adds to that narrative. The incident at the center of the uproar took place during Sunday’s playoff game between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun, where Clark was inadvertently poked in the eye by Connecticut’s DiJonai Carrington.
Just over a minute into the game, Clark caught a hand to the face from Carrington in what appeared to be an incidental contact that did not draw a foul. However, it didn’t take long for the moment to trend on social media, especially given the prior history between the two players.
Earlier this summer, Carrington had openly mocked Clark for flopping during a June 10th matchup between the Fever and the Sun, an incident that added some fuel to the growing rivalry between the players. This led to a headline from the LA Times that many found questionable: “Caitlin Clark suffers black eye. It was caused by player who mocked and called her out in June.”
The headline immediately garnered backlash, with many accusing the paper of implying intent on Carrington’s part in causing Clark’s injury. Critics pointed out that such framing not only misrepresented the accidental nature of the eye poke but also fed into a problematic narrative that has emerged throughout the season—that Black players in the WNBA are targeting Clark, the unanimous Rookie of the Year, out of “jealousy.”
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Prominent voices in the WNBA community and sports media were quick to call out the LA Times for its poor choice of words. ESPN’s Sarah Spain voiced her concerns on social media: “If I worked at the @latimes I would be calling/emailing about the people who wrote & approved this headline. If those people aren’t willing to PUT THEIR NAMES BEHIND accusing Carrington of INTENTIONALLY poking Clark in the eye, it’s because they know this is flat-out wrong.”
Others echoed Spain’s sentiments, with one user calling it an “absolutely irresponsible headline.” Another added, “Hey @latimes, this is the stupidest way to cover Caitlin Clark’s first playoff game, and you should feel extremely silly.”
The controversy highlights a broader issue that has plagued Clark’s rookie season coverage: the portrayal of conflict between her and Black players in the league. Many have pointed out that this season’s narrative has occasionally strayed from the spirit of competition and has instead leaned into divisive rhetoric.
Clark, however, has consistently handled these incidents with professionalism. After Indiana’s 93-69 loss to Connecticut, she addressed the eye poke in her postgame comments: “Obviously, she got me pretty good in the eye,” Clark said to reporters. “I don’t think it affected me. I got good shots, they didn’t go down. It’s a tough time for that to happen. Had three wide-open [shots] in the first half that I usually make. It didn’t feel good when it happened, but I don’t think it affected me.”
Clark’s response highlighted her focus on the game rather than dwelling on the incident, underscoring her maturity in navigating the heightened attention on her every move this season.
Following the backlash, the LA Times changed its headline, but the damage had already been done in the eyes of many fans and members of the WNBA community.
The incident serves as a reminder of the power of media narratives in shaping public perception and the importance of responsible journalism, especially when covering high-profile athletes like Clark and Carrington.
