Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington appeared to take a dig at Caitlin Clark amid the raging row surrounding the WNBA rookie.
Clark has been caught in the middle of controversy since her arrival in the WNBA with aggressive fouls on her dominating headlines over the past week.
However, Sun star Carrington seemed to suggest that the Indiana Fever rookie was drawing the fouls by overreacting.
During the first half of the Fever’s 72-89 loss against Connecticut Monday night, Carrington, who finished with 22 points, was called for a foul on the No. 1 Draft pick and she didn’t appear too impressed with the call.
Carrington fouled Clark shortly after the former Iowa star received an inbound pass from Fever teammate Kristy Wallace.
Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington (right) appeared to take a dig at Caitlin Clark (left)
Clark started towards the basket but Carrington was late getting to her and she bumped into the Fever rookie.
The veteran wasn’t happy with the call and mocked Clark by flailing about, appearing to mimic a flop.
However, her own fans turned against her as the home crowd inside Mohegan Sun Arena began booing the Connecticut star for the gesture, according to Dan Zaksheske.
Earlier in the game, Clark had gone down on the court after a collision with Carrington’s teammate, Alyssa Thomas.
As Thomas attempted to block Clark as she stepped into a three, the forward seemed to step on the Fever stars foot while her elbow appeared to catch her in the chest. Clark tumbled to the court.
However, Thomas was not called for a foul much to the annoyance of Clark, who gestured to the referee.
Clark finished with her fourth-fewest points of the season, going three of eight from the field for 10 points – all in the first half. She picked up her fourth foul with 4:41 left in the third quarter and did not play in the final period.
Carrington’s gesture comes just over a week after the Fever’s game against the Chicago Sky on June 2 sparked massive controversy around the WNBA.
Clark was brutally bodychecked by Chennedy Carter, who was called for a Flagrant Foul.
Carrington appeared to mock Clark by mimicking a flop after being called for a foul
Earlier in the game Clark was not awarded a foul after being knocked to the ground
The 25-year-old appeared to yell ‘you b***h’ at the former Iowa star before knocking her to the ground.
Carter has since been subjected to intensifying criticism for her conduct but speaking Friday, Clark said it was time to move on.
‘No,’ she said when asked if Carter should say sorry. ‘Basketball is competitive, I get it.
‘Sometimes emotions get the better of you, it happened to me multiple times throughout the course of my career.
‘People are competitive, it is what it is. She is having a tremendous season, she is playing great basketball.
‘She has been great off the bench for them, she hit 25 last night I think to help them win the game.
‘There are no grudges, there is nothing like that. It’s a sport, it’s competitive, it is not going to be nice all the time. That’s not what basketball is and I think that people who play the sport at the highest level understand that.’
Clark was knocked to the ground by Chicago’s Chennedy Carter in a now-infamous incident
Carter said following a practice session on June 3 that she had no regrets over the incident.
‘I don’t have any regrets with anything,’ she said. ‘I’m going to compete and play 100 per cent hard – no matter who it is or who we’re playing.’
Many fans, pundits and coaches have since claimed that Clark is being targeted by her WNBA peers.
Most recently, Bill Maher revealed he believes that Clark is being picked on by WNBA rivals because she is heteros3xual in a ‘very lesbian’ league.
The late-night TV host also claimed that both and s3x race play their part after Clark was knocked to the ground by Chicago’s Carter.
‘It’s (because) women are catty, the league is very lesbian and she’s not, and there’s race. There’s a lot going on,’ Maher said following the incident, which sent shockwaves around the sporting world.
‘There’s also a racial element to this… it’s not always racism when a white person succeeds.’
DailyMail.com columnist Tim Howard argued that Clark is the victim of jealous, race-baiting bullies.
Meanwhile, A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces is among those to have suggested that the Indiana star is being given preferential treatment because she is white.
‘Women are catty, the league is very lesbian and she’s not, and there’s race,’ Bill Maher has said
‘It doesn’t matter what we all do as black women, we’re still going to be swept underneath the rug,’ she said.
Clark’s teammates have also come in for criticism for not providing the No 1 draft pick with more protection on the court. Maher echoed those sentiments, suggesting ‘only women would do this’.
‘If this was men, they’d defend each other on their same team,’ Maher said on said Friday.
‘Men will fight from two teams, but when somebody checks you on who’s on your team, you defend that guy. I’m just saying men have their bad parts. We’re toxic. We’re dogs. Only women would do this.’
