Carter may have had a reason for her “cheap shot” on Clark.

The WNBA world has been on fire since the Indiana Fever’s intense showdown with the Chicago Sky, which was overshadowed by discourse about a “cheap shot” by Chennedy Carter on Caitlin Clark. However, video has emerged suggesting a counter-narrative that Clark started it and played the victim.

Did Caitlin Clark hit Chennedy Carter first?

“It appears that Chennedy Carter was retaliating for the elbow Caitlin Clark threw at her in the previous play,” said a user on Twitter/X who posted the crowd angle clip showing the play prior to Carter’s controversial shove. “To be clear, I don’t condone either action, but let’s set the record straight.”

The exact amount of contact between Carter and Clark was obscured in the video, but it showed the Fever guard’s arm swing back toward the Sky player’s face, causing a reaction. Like everything else surrounding Clark, it led to more debate online.

Carter’s retaliation, on the other hand, was clear as day. In fact, the WNBA reviewed it and upgraded it to a flagrant foul after the game. It was called as an away from the ball foul during the game, leading to a critical free throw from Clark in the Fever’s one-point win.

Reactions to new footage

Clark’s massive online following came to her defense even after seeing the new angle of the first play.

“Boxed out . Basketball play . What she did at the other end wasn’t a basketball play . Let’s keep it real,” said one reply to the video.

Even if Caitlin did in fact start the confrontation, Carter’s reaction went too far. One commenter suggested that Clark intentionally tried to cause the retaliation and it worked.

“The second shot is what gets called, which is exactly what happened here. Caitlin knows what she’s doing and kept her head. Carter would’ve been better off doing the same,” the fan wrote.

Based on the lack of discussion of Clark’s role in the drama, social media seemed to have made up its mind by the time the game was over. Matt Barnes, Austin Rivers and even Clark’s boyfriend have given their takes, while Angel Reese and Carter relished in the moment that she body checked Indiana’s young star.

Like so many conversations about Clark’s nascent WNBA career, the Clark-Carter Saga inspired some strong opinions on both sides, without necessarily considering all the evidence.