Caitlin Clark took a nasty blow to the face after a collision with Jackie Young during the Indiana Fever’s 86-75 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday night.
The No 1 overall pick could be seen holding her mouth as she writhed around in pain after being struck by an elbow.
Clark was briefly forced off the court before Young was penalized for the clash.
To add salt to the wound, Clark and the Fever were on the receiving end of another record-breaking performance from A’ja Wilson.
The reigning WNBA Finals MVP broke the single-season scoring record with her 940th and 941st points on a jumper right before halftime. The milestone comes after Wilson missed her first game since 2019 on Sunday with an ankle injury.
Caitlin Clark got fouled on this box out from Jackie Young. #WNBA #FeverRising pic.twitter.com/GdziNP72k7
— Ashwin (@Sudharsan_ak) September 12, 2024
Las Vegas dropped the game to the New York Liberty in thrilling fashion but came back swinging against Indiana.
Wilson’s feat broke the previous record set by Jewell Loyd in 2023 with 939 points.
The hit on Clark happened after she dribbled the ball 94 feet across and attempted a reverse layup in the late half of the third quarter.
As the ball went up, Young boxed out for the rebound and accidentally popped Clark – who was yet to plant her feet – in the face. As she descended, Clark also appeared to hit Young in the face, as her right hand came down from the layup attempt.
The Aces guard fell on top of Clark as they both met the hardwood and the ball bounced off the rim.
Both players’ backs remained on the floor as they winced in pain before eventually getting up.
THE BUCKET THAT MADE WNBA HISTORY 👏
A’ja Wilson now holds the single-season scoring record with 941 points and counting 🔥
(via @LVAces)pic.twitter.com/acgUJsJHVd
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 11, 2024
After seeing contact from both players involved, Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon challenged the call but had her petition denied.
Nonetheless, the defending champs got the last laugh, leaving Indiana in the dust for the victory. Wilson shined with a 27-point, 12-rebound performance.
Chelsea Gray trailed behind her – among starters – with 11 points. Meanwhile, Alysha Clark and Tiffany Hayes came off the bench with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
On the other hand, Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever’s efforts with 24 points, followed by Clark’s 15 points and six assists. Despite a low-scoring game, Aliyah Boston trailed Wilson in boards with 10.
The win moves Las Vegas to a 23-13 record as they sit fourth in the league standings and second in the Western Conference. On the other hand, the sixth-seeded Fever moved to 19-18.
Indiana has three more games while Las Vegas has four. The teams will meet again on Friday in their final regular season showdown.
