During the first two minutes of the first-round playoff game between the Connecticut Sun and the Indiana Fever, D’Jana Carrington poked Caitlin Clark in the eye. Caitlin fell to the ground, holding her face. Surprisingly, the referees didn’t call a foul or a flagrant foul, and the play continued. Now, a lot of people online are asking the WNBA to review the play. As multiple angles of the incident have surfaced, some think the poke might have been intentional.

Caitlin Clark didn’t have a great game, and the Indiana Fever were blown out by the Connecticut Sun. Since this is the first round of the playoffs, which is a best-of-three series, if the Indiana Fever don’t win the next game on Wednesday, it could be their last game of the season.

Let’s take a look at the original angle of this play. You can see Caitlin coming off a screen, dribbling back to her right hand, and then attempting a pass to Aaliyah Boston. That’s when D’Jana Carrington jumps up, seemingly trying to steal the ball, but instead, her hand connects with Caitlin’s face. Caitlin falls to the ground, and the ball goes in the opposite direction, leading to a score by the Connecticut Sun.

The internet, as it does, found a second angle of the play. This is where many fans started to believe the move was intentional. In slow motion, you can see D’Jana going up for the ball, but she misses, and her hand bends downward, going directly into Caitlin’s eye. Many are now calling for the WNBA to review this play, and some even want D’Jana Carrington suspended for the next game. There’s also a growing conversation around the WNBA referees, with a lot of people saying they’ve been inconsistent and even terrible this season.

Personally, I believe it was a basketball play, albeit a careless one. I wouldn’t go as far as to say D’Jana intentionally poked Caitlin in the eye. However, I do think she was reckless in going for the steal without regard for where her hand might land.

Interestingly, D’Jana Carrington gave an interview during shootaround. She was asked if the play on Caitlin was intentional, and she responded with a firm “absolutely not.” Here’s a short clip:

“I don’t even know why I would intentionally hit anyone in the eye. That doesn’t make sense to me. I didn’t even know I hit her, actually. I was just trying to make a play on the ball and I guess I followed through and hit her. Obviously, it was never intentional. That’s not the type of player I am.”

Caitlin Clark was also asked about the play and laughed it off, saying she didn’t believe it was intentional either. I do, however, think the referees missed a big call here. At the very least, this should have been a flagrant 1 foul. A flagrant 1 doesn’t necessarily mean that a player was intentionally trying to hurt someone; it could just be due to reckless play. Flagrant fouls are in place to protect players, and the NBA enforces this rule really well.

The referees should also be aware that the most attention is often on players like Caitlin Clark, so perhaps a special whistle or extra attention should be given in these situations to prevent viral moments of WNBA players fouling star players and the internet reacting with outrage.

There’s also been a recent stat showing that Caitlin Clark has received 17.7% of the WNBA’s flagrant fouls this season, and 80% of those were committed by the Chicago Sky against her. This latest play, which I believe should have been a flagrant foul, wasn’t called. There have been cheap shots, hard fouls, and other plays that haven’t been labeled as flagrants either. When the face of your league is taking nearly 20% of the flagrant fouls, that’s a huge issue. And it’s not just the players’ responsibility to address this; it needs to be addressed from the top down, at the commissioner level.

This incident got me thinking about how the NBA takes pride in being a physical league, and how some players and coaches have said that players like Caitlin Clark and the rookie class would need to adjust to the WNBA’s physicality. But why is this physicality something to be proud of?

I honestly believe that excessive physicality could hurt the WNBA in the long run. Look at the NBA. Many fans think it’s softer now, but Adam Silver has done a great job of protecting players and speeding up the game. The NBA’s style of play has evolved, becoming more exciting, with more emphasis on outside shooting and faster pace. In contrast, excessive physicality in the WNBA could slow the game down and turn fans away.

The WNBA doesn’t play “above the rim” like the NBA, so what’s exciting about the women’s game is quick ball movement, long-range shooting, and skillful plays. Fans aren’t coming to see players battling in the post or taking cheap shots. They want to see a run-and-gun style, similar to what Caitlin Clark represents. Cracking down on these unnecessary fouls would allow for a faster, higher-scoring game, which is more enjoyable to watch.

Now, some might find this controversial, but I think certain WNBA players deserve a “special whistle,” similar to NBA superstars. Superstars are the ones who bring in fans and attention to the league, and protecting them should be a priority. Caitlin Clark, for example, has brought more attention to the WNBA than anyone else. If the league doesn’t do a better job of protecting her and other stars, it will continue to face criticism.

What do you guys think? Was D’Jana Carrington’s poke intentional? Should the WNBA review the play?