UNCASVILLE, Conn. — In the aftermath of a heated Game 1 against the Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark addressed concerns about an eye poke incident involving DiJonai Carrington, confirming that it was entirely unintentional and expressing optimism about her recovery.

During the first quarter of Sunday’s game, Clark suffered an eye poke that resulted in bruising around her right eye. Fortunately, during a media session on Tuesday, she reported that the bruising had nearly faded, stating, "[It] feels good. It looks OK too, so I'm glad."

The incident quickly became a hot topic on social media, prompting widespread speculation.

When asked about it, Carrington vehemently denied any malice, stating, "I don’t even know why I would intend to hit anybody in the eye. It doesn’t even make sense to me... I was trying to make a play on the ball."

Clark also dismissed any rumors surrounding the play's intent, emphasizing, "It wasn't intentional by any means. Just watch the play."

As the Fever gear up for a crucial Game 2 on Wednesday night, the stakes have never been higher.

Following a disappointing performance in Game 1, where Clark was limited to just 11 points on 4-of-17 shooting in a 93-69 loss, she remains confident. "We know we're capable of beating this team. We have done it before," she mentioned, recalling an 84-80 triumph over the Sun earlier this season.

Despite the scoreboard suggesting a significant defeat, Clark reminded fans that the game was highly competitive at times.

She stated, "We had it to six points. We had it to eight points. It was just we could never really get over the hump."

Fever coach Christie Sides echoed these sentiments, highlighting defensive lapses as a key area for improvement.

"We've done a really good job defensively in our schemes, and I don't think we executed well this time," Sides said. "They shot the ball extremely well, and there's definitely ample room for us to step up our game."

With the pressure mounting and the Fever one game away from elimination, Clark conveyed her determination.

"I don't want this to end. It's been a very special year for our organization. Everybody in our locker room believes we can win this series. This is obviously a must-win for us and we believe we can come in here and win that."

As fans rally behind their team, all eyes will be on Game 2 to see if Clark and the Fever can flip the script and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Will they rise to the occasion? Stay tuned!