Reporter's Interaction With Caitlin Clark Was ... Odd

Caitlin Clark gave her first press conference as an Indiana Fever player Wednesday, and one particularly cringe-inducing interaction between a reporter and the No. 1 WNBA draft pick was getting a lot of attention, the Athletic reports. Gregg Doyel, an Indianapolis Star columnist, introduced himself and formed the shape of a heart with his hands, a gesture Clark has become known for. Clark asked him if he liked the gesture, and he said, "I like that you're here," according to ClutchPoints. "Yeah, I do that at my family after every game," Clark said. Then this from Doyel: "Start doing it to me and we'll get along just fine."

He went on to ask his actual question and the press conference moved forward, but commenters online were quick to rip the moment as, at best, uncomfortable, and at worst, creepy and inappropriate. Doyel later posted on X that the moment was his way of welcoming Clark to Indiana in his "uniquely oafish way," and that his "clumsy and awkward" comment came from a "well-intentioned" place. He elaborated in a column dedicated entirely to apologizing. "I'm sort of known locally, sigh, for having awkward conversations with people before asking brashly conversational questions," he explained before admitting that he'd crossed a line with Clark without, at first, realizing what he'd done. (More Caitlin Clark stories.)