Ohio State Fan Collides With Iowa’s Caitlin Clark During Court Storm in Columbus

Following No. 18 Ohio State’s upset over No. 2 Iowa on Sunday afternoon, a concerning incident transpired. As fans stormed the court in celebration of the Buckeyes’ 100-92 overtime victory in Columbus, one enthusiast, holding a phone, collided with Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark, resulting in both individuals falling to the floor.

In the aftermath, Clark confirmed her well-being during the post-game press conference, mentioning that Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith had offered an apology for the collision. She expressed appreciation for the lively atmosphere and acknowledged the court-storming tradition but described the collision as a frightening moment that could have led to a serious injury.

“Yeah, I’m OK, I think,” she stated. “Great environment. These are the games you love to play in. 18,000 people here. I can see them storming the court, which is totally fine. Good for their students and great win for them. I was just trying to exit the court as quickly as possible, so I started running, and I was absolutely just hammered by somebody trying to run onto the court and basically blindsided. Kinda scary, could’ve caused a pretty serious injury to me. Knocked the wind out of me, but luckily my teammates picked me up and got me off the court.”

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder expressed her disappointment multiple times during the press conference, referring to the incident as unfortunate. She emphasized the inappropriate behavior directed at Clark by some fans and students, stressing that such occurrences should not take place. While acknowledging Ohio State’s team and environment, Bluder conveyed her disappointment with the post-game events, particularly the injury risk faced by their players as they tried to leave the gym.