Is Caitlin Clark injured after a collision with an Ohio State fan? Iowa star guard's status explored
Caitlin Clark suffered a heavy blow after the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes were upset by the No. 18 Ohio State Buckeyes 100-92 on Sunday. As the game ended, the Iowa player attempted to leave the court as quickly as she could but collided with a Buckeyes fan attempting to storm the court amidst the celebrations.
Is Caitlin Clark OK?
Clark described the incident during the postgame press conference but clarified that 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, 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. Their AD already came and apologized to me, so I really appreciate that."
Who knocked down Caitlin Clark?
Caitlin Clark was knocked down to the floor after a collision with an Ohio State fan, who rushed to the court after the Buckeyes' OT win over the Hawkeyes. Clark appeared to be a bit shaken up after the hit and was helped to the locker room by members of both teams.
Coach Lisa Blunder comments on Caitlin Clark's harassment by Buckeyes fans
During the same press conference, coach Lisa Blunder added some details that the star player didn't mention.
She said that Clark was harassed by Buckeyes fans as she left the court, and the incident was no accident:
"You know, it’s unfortunate the game ended that way and Caitlin gets taken out on the floor, 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."
Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith and coach Kevin McGuff issued apologies to the player and her coach. Smith went to the Iowa locker room after the incident to issue a direct apology. McGuff said after the game:
"(Clark) had such a spectacular performance today, and she’s such a great player, and that should never happen, and so I feel really badly about it, and, hopefully, it doesn’t affect her moving forward. But that is extremely unfortunate."
Caitlin Clark's performance in the game
Caitlin Clark had a career-high in scored points, with 45. She also had seven assists and three rebounds, being the most valuable member of her team. Guard Molly Davis was the Hawkeyes' lead in assists, with eight.
No player on Ohio State's team came near Clark's performance, with forward Cotie McMahon being the closest with 33 points. Nonetheless, Caitlin Clark's performance was not enough to avert Ohio State's overtime win.