Caitlin Clark arrived in Indiana for the first time as a member of the Fanatics on Wednesday, with the No. 1 overall pick joining general manager Lin Dunn and coach Christie Sides in the lineup. Meet the media at Bridge Arena. The reception awaiting Clark dwarfs any audience that has covered the surge recently, like most of her firsts in the WNBA.
Among the media in attendance was award-winning columnist Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star. When it was his turn to ask Clark a question, Doyle made a heart-shaped gesture in her direction, which Clark considers the signal she sends to her family after every game. The gesture has become associated with Clark and appeared in one of her State Farm ads. When Clark made the association, Doyle responded: “Start doing this to me and we’ll get along.”
Reporter: 🫶
Caitlin Clark: “Do you like this?”
Reporter: “I love having you here.”
Caitlin: “Yeah, I do that at home after every game.”
Reporter: “Start doing this to me and we’ll get along great.”
Caitlin: 😳
(via @Indianamania / beginning of the year)pic.twitter.com/BBjU881K7a
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 17, 2024
Reaction to Doyer’s comments was swift and unfavorable. Nearly everyone found Doyle’s comments inappropriate, disrespectful to Clark and generally uncomfortable. Public opinion was in an uproar, and Doyel had no choice but to express regret for his remarks. write on X“My comments afterwards were clumsy and embarrassing. I sincerely apologize. Please know that my heart is (literally and figuratively) well-intentioned. I will do better.”
Doyle, who also wrote a column in the Indianapolis Star, apologized to Clark for the interaction.
When Clark’s star left for the WNBA, she inadvertently shined a light on a rather thin corps of reporters due to the relative lack of media investment in women’s basketball. As a result, reporters with no experience covering women’s sports have jumped on board the Clark phenomenon, which will cause them some growing pains in understanding women’s basketball. But that doesn’t excuse a lack of strategy when dealing with WNBA athletes. As interest in the game continues to grow, the league and its teams must develop a more robust system for accrediting reporters, but the media itself has a responsibility to treat players with respect and remain professional. The bar meeting was not held in Indianapolis on Wednesday.
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(Photo: Ron Hoskins/Getty Images)
