The much-anticipated playoff debut of Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark finally took place on September 22nd. However, it did not turn out as expected. Coming off a record-shattering streak, Clark seemed a bit off right from the start. Why? It was the Sun’s physicality that she fell victim to. “Obviously, she got me pretty good in the eye,” revealed Clark in a post-game interview. The hit from DiJonai Carrington resulted in a black eye for Clark that possibly contributed to her underperformance. Moreover, her bruise served as a nostalgic reminder of Breanna Stewart suffering the same fate last year against the Sun.

It all happened during a game on May 27 last year between the New York Liberty and the Connecticut Sun. After Stewart stole the ball, stopping a transition in the middle of the court, 5x All-Star Alyssa Thomas accidentally hit the 2x champ in the face. The next moment, her pain was visible, marked by a large black bruise around her eye. The refs called a personal foul on Thomas. However, there were many who claimed that it was not accidental and that Thomas had a track record of such incidents.

One fan even pointed out how Thomas almost punched Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston at the start of last season while swinging her arms, trying to steal the ball. Nonetheless, the black eye Stewart suffered was clearly visible for a few days. “Is this maybe the worse black eye you’ve ever had?” a reporter had asked Breanna, who swiftly responded, “Yes.” The former Seattle Storm star also joked that the black eye was “making my eyes pop.”

Despite the mark and the pain, Stewie continued playing. By the end, she finished with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in 33 minutes of play. It might seem impressive until you compare it to the game she had before this against the Fever, where she had a franchise record 45 points in her home debut for the Liberty. Nevertheless, this is what even Caitlin Clark had to endure on Sunday.

Caitlin Clark suffered the same fate as Breanna Stewart

Only 90 seconds into Game 1 of the first-round series, Caitlin Clark’s dominance was halted by the Sun. But for her, it came in the most intense way—a bruise. Just like Stewie, Clark fell to the ground and appeared to be in significant pain. Sides immediately called a timeout, and the roster rushed to help her to the bench. What was different this time? Instead of Thomas, it was DiJonai Carrington who got the rookie.

Upon review, it was revealed that Carrington had poked Clark in her right eye while she was going for a steal. While it looks unintentional on replay, some believe it seemed more like a personal attack. Her on-court disdain for Clark is undeniable—at least to those who witnessed her mock Clark while calling out for a foul earlier this year.

Clark was visibly shaken by the hit and she had one of her worst performances of the year. The AP Rookie of the Year scored just 11 points on a disappointing 4-17 shooting from the field and 2-13 from three. Whether it was due to her eye being bruised or the Sun’s suffocating defense, we might never know. However, the 22-year-old will be hoping to bounce back on Wednesday in a win-or-go-home Game 2 for the Indiana Fever.