Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington revealed on her Instagram story that she received an email containing sexual assault and death threats following her incident with Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark during their playoff series.
The email, sent by an anonymous fan, stated, “I hope someone rapes you and cuts your head off.”
The altercation occurred in Game 1 of the WNBA playoff series when Carrington accidentally poked Clark in the eye, resulting in Clark suffering a black eye. The incident has sparked significant backlash against Carrington and highlighted the troubling behavior of some fans.
Getty Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever looks to pass against DiJonai Carrington #21 of the Connecticut Sun.
Sun guard DiJonai Carrington denied intentionally hitting Caitlin Clark in the eye during Game 1 of their playoff series on September 24.
“I don’t even know why I would intend to hit anybody in the eye,” Carrington explained after a Sun practice. “It doesn’t even make sense to me. I didn’t know I hit her, I was just trying to make a play on the ball.”
No foul was called during the incident.
**Caitlin Clark Defends DiJonai Carrington**
Clark defended Carrington, addressing the backlash Carrington received. “It wasn’t intentional by any means,” Clark stated before Game 2. “You can watch the play; it wasn’t intentional.”
Despite sporting a black eye, Clark said the injury didn’t impact her shot in Game 1, though she struggled, scoring 11 points on 4-of-17 shooting, including 2-of-13 from three-point range.
“Obviously, she got me pretty good in the eye,” Clark said postgame. “But I don’t think it affected me. I got good shots; they just didn’t go down. It’s just unfortunate timing.”In Game 2, Carrington once again played a key role as the Sun defeated the Indiana Fever 87-81 to advance. Despite Clark’s stellar performance with 25 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds, it wasn’t enough to avoid elimination.
Carrington contributed 10 points and 4 rebounds in the Sun’s victory.
**WNBA Condemns Toxic Fan Behavior**
In response to the threats and racial slurs directed at players, including both Carrington and Clark, the WNBA issued a strong statement condemning such behavior.
“The WNBA is a competitive league with some of the most elite athletes in the world,” the league said. “While we welcome a growing fan base, the WNBA will not tolerate racist, derogatory, or threatening comments about players, teams, or anyone affiliated with the league. League security is actively monitoring threats and working with teams, arenas, and law enforcement as needed.”
Clark also had a brief confrontation with a fan in Game 2, resulting in the fan being escorted from their seat.
**DiJonai Carrington Named Most Improved Player of the Year**
Carrington was awarded the WNBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year before Game 2. She received 28 of 67 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.
Her breakout season featured career highs in points (12.7), rebounds (5.0), assists (1.6), and steals (1.56), a significant jump from her previous season’s numbers of 8.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.63 steals. She also logged double-digit points in 25 games and led the league in games with at least five steals (three).
