When Caitlin Clark makes her WNBA debut on Tuesday, May 14, there will be one notable absence from the arena.
As the saying goes, “You only have one chance to make a first impression.” It’s apparently a lesson that Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel never learned.
Doyel, a three-time honoree as the nation’s top sports columnist by the Associated Press, stuck his foot — and pretty much everything else — in his mouth while addressing Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark during her introductory press conference on April 17.
It was a facepalm moment for sports media, as well as the country in general. Doyel, a former national sports writer for CBSSports.com, had what has been termed as a “creepy” initial interaction with Caitlin Clark for all the cameras to record.
The exchange led to a firestorm of controversy that engulfed social media and landed Doyel in some hot water. Now, three weeks later, and with the WNBA season about to begin, the sportswriter received official word that he will not be allowed to cover the team in person.
Caitlin Clark’s Heart Gesture Made for Cringey Comment
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As Caitlin Clark faced the media, Doyel was called on to ask the hoped-for next WNBA superstar a question. Doyel, a three-time honoree as the nation’s top sports columnist by the Associated Press, asked her about her now-famous heart gesture.
Off-camera, Doyel made Caitlin Clark’s trademark gesture. That led to this exchange:
“You like that?” she responded.
“I like that you’re here, I like that you’re here,” Doyel said.
“Yeah, I do that at my family after every game,” she said of the hand gesture.
Doyel then responded: “Start doing it to me and we’ll get along just fine.”
The exchange was initially met with a smattering of laughs, though it appeared to make the collegiate hoop phenomenon ill at ease.
Doyel Restricted Access to Caitlin Clark, Fever
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Lark-Marie Anton, a spokesperson for Gannett — which owns the Star — announced in a statement:
“Indianapolis Star sports columnist Gregg Doyel will not be covering the Indiana Fever.”
Doyel was also suspended for two weeks as part of the fallout from the Caitlin Clark interaction. Many in the public had taken to social media to call for Doyel’s job.
The inability to cover the Fever is a far greater penalty than it might have been in previous seasons. Led by Caitlin Clark, the Fever are expected to suddenly become one of the biggest draws in the WNBA as fans are buying up tickets at a record pace to follow NCAA basketball’s all-time leading scorer as she begins her professional career.
For his part, Doyel was quick to backtrack on his interaction with Caitlin Clark. Within hours, he offered an initial apology on X, which read:
“Today in my uniquely oafish way, while welcoming @CaitlinClark22 to Indy, I formed my hands into her signature [heart gesture]. My comment afterward was clumsy and awkward. I sincerely apologize. Please know my heart (literally and figuratively) was well-intentioned. I will do better.”
A few hours later, Doyel tweeted a link to an apology column that ran in Thursday’s newspaper as well as online. He noted that:
“Today I was part of the problem.”
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Tom Carothers is a sportswriter with more than 20 years of experience covering sports at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Still longing for the return of his Minnesota North Stars, he has a high pain tolerance as a big fan of the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Browns, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Tom is the WNBA Content Manager for Total Apex Sports. He is also well versed in covering MLB, NFL, NHL, as well as MLS and EPL.
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