Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever conference was overshadowed by an awkward exchange with a journalist

Caitlin Clark was introduced to Indiana as a member of the Fever for the first time on Wednesday, when the No. 1 draft pick joined general manager Lin Dunn and coach Christie Sides to meet with the media at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The reception that awaited Clark dwarfed any crowd that has covered the Fever in recent memory, as will be the case for most of her first WNBA appearances.

Among the accredited media in attendance was Gregg Doyel, award-winning columnist for The Indianapolis Star. When it was his turn to ask Clark a question, Doyel made a heart gesture with his hands in her direction, which Clark recognized as the sign he gives to his family after each game. That gesture became associated with Clark and appeared in one of his State Farm commercials. When Clark made the association, Doyel responded, “Start doing it to me and we’ll get along.”

Reporter: 🫶

Caitlin Clark: “Do you like that?”

Journalist: “I like that you are here.”

Caitlin: “Yeah, I do that with my family after every game.”

Journalist: “Start doing it to me and we’ll get along.”

Caitlin: 😳

(through @IndianaFever /YT)pic.twitter.com/BBjU881K7a

– Clutch Points (@ClutchPoints) April 17, 2024

Reaction to Doyel’s comments was swift and unfavorable. There was almost universal agreement that what Doyel said was inappropriate, disrespectful to Clark and generally uncomfortable. The uproar was so overwhelming that Doyel felt compelled to express remorse for his comments. writing in, “My subsequent comment was clumsy and awkward. I sincerely apologize. Please know that my heart (literally and figuratively) meant well. I will do it better.”

Doyel too wrote a column in The Indianapolis Star apologizing to Clark for the interaction.

As Clark’s star moves to the WNBA, she is inadvertently shedding light on a press corps that has been quite thin due to a relative lack of media investment in women’s basketball. As a result, reporters who have no experience covering women’s sports are parachuting in to be part of the Clark phenomenon, which will result in some headaches as they learn about women’s basketball. But that doesn’t excuse a lack of tact when it comes to dealing with WNBA athletes. The league and its teams will have to develop a more robust system for accrediting journalists as interest in the game grows, but the media themselves have a responsibility to treat players with respect and professionalism. That bar was not met in Indianapolis on Wednesday.