Caitlin Clark accidentally knocked down by Ohio State fan running on court to celebrate win

COLUMBUS, OH -- Caitlin Clark said she was "OK" aft she was accidentally knocked down by a instrumentality moving onto the tribunal aft No. 2 Iowa was upset by No. 18 Ohio State connected Sunday.

The Hawkeyes prima was moving disconnected the tribunal with her caput down erstwhile a pistillate fan, trying to movie the on-court celebration, banged into Clark. She fell to the level nether 1 of the baskets arsenic unit and teammates rushed to her aid.

"I was conscionable trying to exit the tribunal arsenic rapidly arsenic possible, truthful I started moving and I was perfectly conscionable hammered by idiosyncratic trying to tally onto the court," Clark said aft the 100-92 overtime loss. "Basically blindsided and, you know, benignant of scary, could person caused a beauteous superior wounded to maine and knocked the upwind retired of me. But luckily, my teammates benignant of picked maine up and got maine disconnected the court. Their AD already came and apologized to me, truthful I truly admit that."

Ohio State diversion manager Gene Smith went to the Hawkeyes locker country and apologized to Clark and Iowa manager Lisa Bluder. Buckeyes manager Kevin McGuff besides issued an apology.

Clark didn't notation it, but Bluder said her prima player, who scored 45 points successful the game, besides was harassed portion leaving the court.

"You know, it's unfortunate the crippled ended that mode and Caitlin gets taken retired connected the floor," a visibly aggravated Bluder said. "Gets immoderate inappropriate words yelled astatine her by fans, by students. That conscionable should not happen, it should not happen. Our players should beryllium safe, they should beryllium capable to locomotion disconnected the floor. That's precise disappointing."

More than 18,000 radical attended, which was the astir ever to ticker a women's hoops crippled astatine Ohio State. After the No. 18 Buckeyes finished the 100-92 overtime win, fans streamed past information and onto the floor.

"(Clark) had specified a spectacular show today, and she's specified a large subordinate and that should ne'er happen,' McGuff said. "And truthful I consciousness truly severely astir it and hopefully, it doesn't impact her moving forward. But that is highly unfortunate."