The WNBPA requested that the USA Today columnist’s credentials be revoked after her line of questioning regarding a collision between Clark and DiJonai Carrington.

Sep 25, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives to the basket defended by Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington (21) during the first half during game two of the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Caitlin Clark ended her rookie season in the WNBA with a fairly quiet first-round playoff loss, but of course it wouldn’t be a Caitlin Clark story without an extra layer of controversy.

The series matched Clark up with perhaps the most effective defender in the WNBA as DiJonai Carrington of the Connecticut Sun draped onto the WNBA Rookie of the Year, with Carrington using her trademark physicality to disrupt Clark. That physicality turned viral when Carrington made contact with Clark’s face on a shot attempt in Game 1 of the series.

The incident led USA Today columnist Christine Brennan, who already had made a habit of tailing Clark and is writing a book about the Indiana Fever phenom, to put Carrington through a rather insistent line of questioning about the hit. After Carrington dismissed the idea that her contact with Clark’s face was intentional, Brennan circled back to ask whether Carrington was laughing about the play afterward with a teammate, as various internet sleuths had speculated.

Later, the WNBA players’ association released a statement condemning Brennan and request that the league revoke Brennan’s credentials for the rest of the playoffs.

Now, in an interview with TIME after being named the magazine’s Athlete of the Year, Clark has made her stance clear on the situation.

“Never once did that cross my mind, that it was on purpose,” she told TIME. “I’ve been poked in the eye many times playing basketball. It happens.”