"Gets some inappropriate words yelled at her": Iowa HC Lisa Bluder raises concerns over player safety after Caitlin Clark's "unfortunate" situation
Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder was outraged after star Caitlin Clark was caught in the frenzied postgame chaos and hostility from Ohio State fans following their upset loss.
No. 4 Iowa fell to No. 18 Ohio State 100-92 in overtime on Sunday before a sold-out crowd. Jubilant Buckeyes fans stormed the court postgame and in the chaos, one collided with Clark, sending her crashing hard to the floor.
In the postgame press conference, Bluder expressed disappointment at the scene. She revealed Clark was subjected to hostility from Ohio State fans amidst the swarming crowd.
[00:00:37] “You know, it’s unfortunate the game ended that way and Caitlin gets taken out on the floor,” Bluder said.
“Gets some inappropriate words yelled at her by fans, by students. That just should not happen, it should not happen. Our players should be safe, they should be able to walk off the floor. That’s very disappointing,” she added.
While Clark did not comment on the hostility, her coach ensured everyone knew of the incident.
Clark appeared rattled after the collision. The star later assured reporters she was fine.
"I was just trying to exit the court as quickly as possible, so I started running and I was absolutely just hammered by somebody trying to run onto the court," Clark said (h/t USA Today).
"Basically blindsided and, you know, kind of scary, could have caused a pretty serious injury to me and knocked the wind out of me. But luckily my teammates kind of picked me up and got me off the court," she added.
Will Caitlin Clark declare for the 2024 WNBA draft?
Caitlin Clark's plans for 2024 remain up in the air as she has given no public indication of her intentions yet. She now meets the age requirement for the WNBA draft, having celebrated her 22nd birthday. So, while the Iowa superstar could opt to exit college early this year, she also could exercise the extra COVID eligibility year she was granted.
Eyebrows were raised when Clark passed on last year's draft. But contestants must be 22 within the calendar year to qualify per WNBA guidelines.
With draft eligibility cleared, Clark faces a major choice - seize the chance now to take her standout, record-setting game to the pros. Or elect to unleash one more thrilling Hawkeye encore on the collegiate stage.