UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Caitlin Clark’s performance has been pivotal for the Indiana Fever throughout a memorable rookie season filled with achievements and surprises.

However, on Sunday afternoon, reality struck hard for the Fever as they faced a tough playoff debut against the experienced Connecticut Sun, whose players had navigated the postseason before.

Clark started her day on a high note, finishing fourth in the voting for the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player, which was unanimously awarded to A’ja Wilson from Las Vegas. Additionally, she was honored by the Associated Press with three accolades: Rookie of the Year, All-WNBA First Team, and All-Rookie Team.

But her afternoon took a downturn. In a 93-69 defeat against the Sun, Clark ended up with a black eye after being poked in the right eye by DiJonai Carrington just 90 seconds into the game. Despite this, she dismissed suggestions that the injury impacted her shooting performance, where she ended up making only 4 of 17 shots, including 2 of 13 attempts from beyond the arc.

“I obviously got hit pretty hard in the eye, but it didn’t really affect me,” said Clark. “I felt like I had some good looks; they just didn’t go in. It was just unfortunate timing. I missed a couple of wide open 3-pointers in the first half that I usually make.”

“We were still in it for a while, but then things got out of hand towards the end,” she added.

Clark noted that her coach, Christie Sides, reminded the team that they were only down three at the end of the first quarter and five going into the second, indicating that they were competitive despite ultimately losing by a larger margin.

Regarding her eye injury, Clark clarified: “It didn’t bother me. It hurt at the moment, but I’ll move on.”

As they looked ahead to this best-of-three series, the Fever had hoped their youthful excitement would help them succeed. With a strong finish to the regular season, including a notable victory over Connecticut on August 28, they felt optimistic. Clark and teammate Kelsey Mitchell had their standout moments, alongside strong performances from others like Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull.

However, experience played a significant role; the Sun had collectively played 222 playoff games, while the Fever’s entire roster had just 19 games of playoff experience combined.

As the game continued, it became clear that the day belonged to Connecticut—they had the advantage in physicality and skill. Clark finished the game with 11 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals.

Sun Coach Stephanie White made strategic changes after their loss to Indiana in August, placing the 6’4″ veteran DeWanna Bonner against the 6’0″ Clark, which proved effective in disrupting her rhythm.

“Comfort, rhythm, and timing are crucial in this game. We needed to make an adjustment to disrupt those rhythms,” White commented. “Kudos to Bonner for taking on that challenge.”

Now, with one more victory, Connecticut could eliminate the Fever from the playoffs, while Indiana needs a win in Game 2 to stay alive for a potential deciding game on Friday in Indiana.

In the Fever’s camp, there was still hope. Coach Sides remarked, “These players are going to shoot much better on Wednesday, which will make a big difference.”

With only one playoff game under her belt, Clark and her teammates are ready to bounce back.

Editor’s note: Christine Brennan is working on a book about Caitlin Clark and the evolution of women’s sports, set to be published by Scribner in the spring/summer of 2025.

Follow Christine Brennan on social media @cbrennansports