The insult came first, and the injury almost immediately followed.

Iowa Hawkeyes star basketball player Caitlin Clark was making her way off the floor after Iowa’s 100-92 upset loss to Ohio State when, suddenly, a court-storming fan slammed into her.

“Kind of scary. Could’ve caused a pretty serious injury to me. It knocked the wind out of me,” Clark said after the game. “Their AD already came and apologized to me, so I appreciate that. This is what comes with the territory. I’m sure they tried their best to do whatever they could [to keep it safe]. Obviously, it didn’t work, and that’s disappointing.”

Clark scored a season-high 45 points in the game.

Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes, shoots the ball while being defended by Taylor Thierry, #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes, during the second quarter of the game at Value City Arena on January 21, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State defeated Iowa 100-92 in overtime. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

“Our players should be safe,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “They should be able to walk off the floor. That’s very disappointing.”

Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff added his voice to the chorus of disapproval.

“That should never happen. I feel really bad,” McGuff said. “Hopefully, she is OK, and [the collision] doesn’t affect her moving forward. That’s extremely unfortunate.”