WNBA Star Caitlin Clark’s Press Conference Goes Viral After Journalist’s Cringey Comments

WNBA star Caitlin Clark endured a cringey exchange with a journalist at a press conference, and the moment went viral.

Clark was selected by the Indiana Fever as the no. 1 overall draft pick in the WNBA, and her introductory news conference took place on Wednesday.

Things got awkward when Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel made the heart symbol with his hands, which Clark flashes to her family after every game.

Caitlin responded, "You like that?" and Doyel replied, "I like that you're here."

She explained, "Yeah, I do that at my family after every game.”

The reporter then told her, "Start doing it to me and we'll get along just fine."

Clark seemed to brush it off and went on to answer Doyel’s question.

Watch the exchange below around the 6-minute mark.

Doyel faced serious backlash over the exchange, with comments on X ranging from “uncomfortable” to “angered and sickened.” One user called it “disrespectful and creepy.”

Barstool Sports founder David Portnoy tweeted, “@IndyStarSports do something about this pervert,” adding, “To clarify I meant to call Gregg Doyle [sic] a sexist pervert. Which he is based on his nauseating actions today.”

Doyel later apologized on X, writing, “Today in my uniquely oafish way, while welcoming @CaitlinClark22 to Indy, I formed my hands into her signature [heart hands]. My comment afterward was clumsy and awkward. I sincerely apologize. Please know my heart (literally and figuratively) was well-intentioned. I will do better.”

He followed up on his column, sharing, “I’m devastated to realize I’m part of the problem. I screwed up Wednesday during my first interaction with No. 1 overall draft pick Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever.”

Doyel explained his “heart dropped” when he realized “after years of being so sure I was on the right side of these arguments, I was now on the wrong side,” saying it was due to “ignorance.”

The columnist continued, “After going through denial, and then anger — I’m on the wrong side of this? Me??? — I now realize what I said and how I said it was wrong, wrong, wrong. I mean it was just wrong. Caitlin Clark, I’m so sorry.”