Caitlin Clark’s iconic college career with the Iowa Hawkeyes is over, her WNBA career with the Indiana Fever is just beginning, and people are already being weird about it.
Two days after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Fever, Clark was introduced by her new team for the first time. This should have been a celebratory event free from bad vibes, but unfortunately Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel couldn’t help himself.
Doyel went viral for a terribly awkward exchange with Clark at her introductory press conference. It started with Doyel making the “hands heart” at Clark — a gesture she made to her family and young fans throughout her college career — and then it got creepy and inappropriate from there. Attention men covering women’s sports: here’s how not to act. Watch the viral clip of Doyel talking to Clark here:
Did anyone else physically cringe while watching that? The crowd reaction in the media room only made it worse. How does anyone think this is okay?
Doyel issued an apology later in the day:
Today in my uniquely oafish way, while welcoming @CaitlinClark22 to Indy, I formed my hands into her signature . My comment afterward was clumsy and awkward. I sincerely apologize. Please know my heart (literally and figuratively) was well-intentioned. I will do better.
— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar) April 17, 2024
Here’s a small sampling of the reaction on Twitter.
This is BEYOND inappropriate.
The really sad thing is, athletes in the WNBA have been fielding inappropriate ? from “media” members for years.
I media in quotes bc anyone who does this is not a professional and deserves their credential pulled. This is disturbing. https://t.co/hEVkWq1GRs
— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) April 17, 2024
Do that to me and we’ll get along just fine?
WTF
1. Athletes don’t need to get along with media, they need to coexist professionally
2. The audacity of this man to suggest this is both creepy and unbelievably out of touch with reality.
Shame on everyone who laughed
— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) April 17, 2024
oh nooooo i just saw the doyel/caitlin exchange, how do i delete it from my memory immediately helllpppppppppppp
— Lindsay Gibbs (@linzsports) April 17, 2024
get gregg doyel far away from the wnba
— (@cecesinterludee) April 17, 2024
Clark is a joy to watch, but let’s please all be normal about her. This is no way to start her WNBA career.
