The WNBA’s treatment of its biggest star. Indiana Fever point guard Caitlin Clark has become a hot-button issue in the last week. Clark’s back was injured in a game against the Phoenix Mercury after a reckless closeout. Clark was struck in the neck area by Mercury guard Alyssa Thomas, resulting in Clark’s missing the Fever’s next game and Thomas being awarded a flagrant 2 foul after the game and an accompanying one-game suspension.
Still, many feel that the league isn’t doing enough to protect Clark. Others, such as Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, feel the Fever’s sharpshooter isn’t being marketed properly, in light of her being left off a special WNBA 30th anniversary poster.
“Well, it’s the worst marketed league in the history of leagues,” Portnoy said of the league. “They’re absolute morons. That’s the answer. Now, a lot of times social media will take this into a different stratosphere.”
Portnoy said that he thinks the issues with Clark’s treatment by the league are less about race and more about jealousy.
“I don’t think it really is because she’s a white girl, a straight girl, which people say, because the W has had a lot of white superstars and WNBA players,” he added. “So it’s not like she’s the first white girl. A lot of the great players of all time— we just mentioned Taurasi, uh, they’ve had great white female basketball players. I think They felt she was anointed. Nobody has ever come into the league like she has.
“And it’s jealousy and it’s, I don’t know, hypocrisy. And it’s just not knowing where your bread is buttered is what it is. And they don’t like that she has been crowned this queen of the league before she even showed up. And they want to make a point. About it and they continue to make a point about it.
“It’s the worst marketed league in the history of leagues. They’re absolute morons” -Dave Portnoy talking about how the WNBA treats Caitlin Clark pic.twitter.com/wTu4qPC2BN
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 29, 2026
“And there’s pressure probably from the players to the league that— and this is brutal— that, that they don’t want her getting a special— what she gets, she gets nothing. So Sophie is right. Like, she gets treated and attacked and harassed differently than virtually every player. She’s had it since she entered the league. But it is a very rough and tumble league to begin with.
“Like, there’s other— you see chippy plays and things like that. But people are watching Caitlin specifically. People are watching the league specifically for Caitlin. And you see her getting abused and no whistle…
“They just don’t want to accept how important she is. The only reason they are flying private is because of her. The only reason they have a new CBA is because of her. But somehow it’s seen as a sign of disrespect to like the players that came before or whatever if, if you give her her flowers for that.”
There’s probably more nuance that should go into any discussion of Clark’s treatment by the league, but Portnoy isn’t wrong that more needs to be done to protect the superstar. Hopefully, Clark is healthy and ready to take the floor again when the Fever suit up again this weekend.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.