"Lucky she didn’t get the ol eye poke move": Fans react after Kate Martin left 'annoyed' by DiJonai Carrington's physical play

Kate Martin appeared visibly frustrated after facing intense physical defense from DiJonai Carrington during Laces BC's victory over Mist BC on Monday. There were multiple instances in the game where Martin found herself on the receiving end of Carrington’s tough defensive plays.

In one notable moment, Martin attempted a layup in transition but was struck on the head as the Connecticut Sun star aggressively went for a chase-down block.

Another incident occurred on the perimeter, where Carrington, while attempting to swipe at the ball, accidentally hit Martin instead.

Fans were buzzing after videos of DiJonai Carrington’s physical defense on Kate Martin surfaced, with one user even referencing the Sun star’s inadvertent eye poke on Caitlin Clark during the 2024 WNBA playoffs.

"What a shock. Lucky she didn’t get the ol eye poke move," a fan commented.

"lmao very rarely are you gonna see kate look so visibly annoyed like this while playing," commented another fan.

"Dijonai "The Eye Gouger" Carrington, the dirtiest player in the game," a fan said.

"Surprised she didn’t try to captain insano her like she did to CC," said another fan.

"KM never got a fraction of the abuse that CC22 received during WNBA rookie season now she gets just a very small taste of it in Unrivaled," a fan wrote.

"bye I love nai but she slapped the shit out of her and was annoyed with the foul?" another user wrote.

Kate Martin outplayed DiJonai Carrington in Laces' win over Mist

Laces BC secured a morale-boosting 63-43 victory over Mist BC, with Kate Martin playing a pivotal role in the outcome. The former Iowa guard outperformed DiJonai Carrington in all aspects of the game.

Martin had a slow start, struggling to find her rhythm in the first half. However, she found her groove after halftime, making a significant impact on both ends of the court. She finished with 10 points on 2 of 10 shooting from the field, including 2 of 7 from beyond the arc, along with four rebounds, three assists and three steals.

On the other hand, Carrington also had difficulty with her shooting, much like Martin. The reigning WNBA Most Improved Player ended with two points, three rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block, shooting 1 of 10 from the field, including 0 of 3 from 3-point range.