Caitlin Clark has finally arrived at the home of the Indiana Fever. The 2024 WNBA Draft's first overall pick had stops to meet with media members and even had a chance to go on The Pat McAfee Show. But, the former Iowa women's basketball star had an awkward encounter with members of the press. Gregg Doyel of Indy Star Sports made an awkward gesture during the presser and had to apologize.
“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,” Gregg Doyel wrote on his X account.
So, what did Gregg Doyel do to catch the attention of Caitlin Clark? Well, he used the former Iowa star's heart hand sign to greet her. He then went on to say, “I like that you're here.”
As the Fever's first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft explained that she does that gesture mostly to her family, Doyel interjected with another odd statement yet again.
“Start doing it to me and we'll get along just fine,” the reporter said.
Not a lot of media members and even the internet appreciated the odd gesture to the new Fever star. It even sparked a lot of negative reactions.
“As a journalist, you are supposed to be asking questions. You are literally speaking to a decorated athlete and a generational talent, and this is degrading to Caitlyn as a woman and as an athlete. Clumsy and awkward = disrespectful and creepy,” a user wrote.
Some Fever and Iowa fans were also not appreciative of his move in the press room.
“You can say it had good intentions…but you are a reporter, you are a journalist. You are a professional and you KNOW that you shouldn’t have done that. It wasn’t clumsy, it wasn’t awkward. It was wrong,” a member of the Fever faithful wrote.
“Come on. It was weird and creepy. Would you ever ask a male athlete that? Sexism is still alive and well especially in sports,” another avid spectator declared.
Fever star's journey to WNBA
Vitriol and criticism are not new to Clark. She has been experiencing these types of statements hurled at her back when she was still in Iowa. But, it took a lot for her to get here and become the top pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft. She started out as an insanely talented player at Des Moines and even played with boys during her AAU days.
The next step was for her to choose a college. At first, her family really wanted her to go to Notre Dame and she also had respect for the school because of a certain Sean Astin film. Eventually, Clark decided to go to Iowa and break records with Coach Lisa Bluder.
Despite getting to the finals of the NCAA Tournament twice, she ended her career without a natty. But, she will definitely have the highest upside as the NCAA's all-time leading scorer and thrive with the Fever.
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