Much of the attention in Game 1 of the first round WNBA playoff series between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun centered around a pair of incidents involving Caitlin Clark and DiJonai Carrington.
In the previous matchups between the Sun and the fever, it has gotten physical, and Sunday’s game is no different as the two exchanged eyes apparently by accident. Clark was hit near the right eye by Carrington in the first quarter, and then in the fourth frame, Clark returned the favor, deliberately knocking out Carrington’s contact.
It was all part of a frustrating day for Clark, who finished with just 11 points in 36 minutes of play in a 93-69 loss to the Sun. The unanimous AP WNBA rookie’s dissatisfaction with his own performance bubbled to the surface in the third quarter when he slapped a chair on the bench in anger.
“We didn’t play well, we didn’t play at the level we’re capable of,” Clark said. “We didn’t shoot the ball as well as we could have. We could have won this game.”
And about the exchange with Carrington, Clark said: “I was really good. I don’t think it affected me, to be honest. I thought I had a good shot, it just didn’t go down. Obviously, it’s a difficult time for that to happen.
No, Clark won’t blame his abysmal playoff debut on some tough guarding from opponents.
Also, if Clark had held Carrington responsible for why he shot 4-of-17 from the floor and 2-of-13 from 3-point land, he would have picked the wrong Connecticut player to blame.
For the majority of the game, the player who guarded Clark and made it very difficult for him was 37-year-old DeWanna Bonner, who used a combination of two things Clark lacked — experience and length — to make the rookie a star. The first playoff game was an absolute nightmare.
In the first half, Clark was 0-of-3 from the floor while Bonner guarded him. When ESPN’s Holly Rowe relayed that statistic to Bonner during an on-court interview, she had an appropriate and memorable reaction.
“Let me knock on the wood real quick,” Bonner said, bending over and tapping the field as he laughed. “Because he’s a good player. I knew he was going to come out in the second half ready, so I had to go in.
Clark wasn’t all that much better in the second half though, going 3-of-8 from the floor with two turnovers. Bonner’s play is a big reason.
For much of her career, the Auburn product has been underrated as a defender, making the All-WNBA Second-Team Defensive Team just once in 2015. But this season, Bonner posted a career-high defensive win share of 2.5, which is fifth-best in WNBA. His defensive rating of 92.6 is the second best of his 15-year career and 11th best in the league this season.
The part of Bonner’s defense that hasn’t been underestimated throughout his career is his versatility and intelligence. He guards all types of players, from swing wings to bruising centers to sharpshooting guards. Clark is just the latest victim.
The 6-foot-4 Bonner had a highlight-worthy block on Clark as he drove to the rim in the second quarter. He finished the game with two blocks in addition to 22 points, six rebounds and five assists. Alyssa Thomas posted a triple-double for the Suns in the win, but if there is an MVP from Game 1, the honor should go to Bonner.
That Connecticut has Bonner guard Clark was a surprise to many. In the Sun’s previous four matches with the Fever, Carrington shouldered the duties for the majority of the games. But when the fever finally beat the Sun 84-80 in the last meeting behind Clark’s 19 points and five assists, Connecticut knew it had to try another strategy.
“They beat us last time, so we had to do something different,” Bonner said. “There’s nothing behind him. He’s got two good guards, so somebody has to step up and play defense, that’s the only way to beat him, so I’m just up for the challenge. He’s a good player. I know next game he will be out of shots.
Indeed, that’s the task at hand now for Bonner and Sun: Can they stifle Clark again to take the series-clinching win?
Wednesday afternoon, we will find out.
