Caitlin Clark’s WNBA moment soured by Indy Star reporter interaction that prompted apology

Caitlin Clark entered her first WNBA press conference with the Indiana Fever since draft night excited about the new phase of her career, but an odd line of questioning marred the occasion

Caitlin Clark’s second press conference as a professional women’s basketball player – and first officially hosted by the Indiana Fever – was met by an unprofessional approach from an Indy Star newspaper columnist who later apologized for his actions.

Gregg Doyel, a veteran of the Indy Star, made a heart gesture at Clark before a bizarre exchange unfolded. Clark, the newly minted member of the Fever, asked if he was doing the gesture because he liked it, to which Doyel responded, “I like that you’re here.”

“Yeah, I do that at my family after every game,” Clark said, attempting to redirect the interaction. Doyel, though, responded: “Start doing it to me and we’ll get along just fine.”

Amid swift backlash from fans and fellow media members, Doyel offered an apology on social media, claiming he was acting in his typical style.

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

Soon after the apology, Doyel quote-tweeted himself, writing, “Column coming.” That post led to replies questioning whether he would attempt to use his negative attention to generate clicks for the Indy Star website.

Caitlin Clark was made the top pick at the 2024 WNBA Draft. ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
According to his Indy Star bio, Doyel worked at the Tampa Tribune, Miami Herald, Charlotte Observer and CBSSports.com before his current gig. He writes about a variety of local subjects but shows an affinity for basketball, both college and professional.

The sports columnist position at a newspaper is historically seen as prestigious, typically coming after many years in the business. That means the incident came from someone engrained in journalism rather than an outsider – a worrisome aspect of the situation that raises questions about who occupies top roles.

In the first reply to Doyel’s social media apology, sports announcer Carolina Teague wrote, “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 [Caitlin] as a woman and as an athlete. Clumsy and awkward = disrespectful and creepy.”

The Indiana Fever have not issued an official response to the situation as of Wednesday night nor determined whether they will revisit their distribution of credentials.

Clark’s received no shortage of media coverage over the past two years, helping raise the profile of women’s basketball through her incredible play at Iowa, where she broke a host of NCAA records. She’ll now try to carry her on-court success to the WNBA. Her regular-season debut is scheduled to take place next month.