During Saturday night’s game against the Chicago Sky, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was on the receiving end of a rather controversial technical foul call that was ultimately rescinded by the league. But before the league changed the ruling, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy had a message.
Portnoy, who has long been an outspoken supporter of Clark, took to social media on Saturday evening following the controversial foul call to express his frustration with the league, suggesting that Clark should “start your own league.”
Clark Issued Technical Foul
With 1:06 remaining in the third quarter, Clark appeared to lose control of the ball after Sky guard Natasha Cloud bumped her under the basket. Clark the stumbled out of bounds into an official standing at the baseline.
While it seemed obvious that Clark was not intentional in bumping the ref, the official gave her a technical foul. Given that it was Clark’s eighth technical foul of the season, it also came with an automatic suspension from the league.
After the game, both Clark and Fever head coach Stephanie White expressed their displeasure with the call.
“That’s a bad call. That’s a bad call,” White said after the game. “Incidental contact when you’re flying out of control… And I thought her teammates should have come up and talked to her about that as well. I think that’s really bad.
“That [stuff] happens all the time in the game. You know, officials have to have some awareness in those moments, and it didn’t happen.”
Clark was so confident that the call would be rescinded that she even told ESPN’s Holly Rowe she’ll see her next Tuesday at the Fever’s next game against the New York Liberty.
“She said I ran into her. I’ve already watched it on the tape. So, we’ll let the league decide, but it wasn’t intentional or anything,” said Clark. “So I’m hoping it’s getting rescinded, Holly.
“I’ll see you on Tuesday.”
Clark was indeed right, as the foul was rescinded, meaning Clark will avoid a suspension.
‘Start your own league’
While the technical foul call was eventually rescinded, it was not before Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy expressed his outright outrage at the call.
“Hey [Caitlin Clark] just go start your own league already. Sick league,” Portnoy wrote in a post on X, tagging WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
“Imagine treating the most important, impactful, influential woman’s basketball player ever like a piece of [trash]. Insane disrespect. By the way shes got 25 and 9 assists and is 5/6 from 3. And they HATE her for it,” Portnoy added in a follow-up post.
Portnoy did not have a public comment immediately after Clark’s suspension was rescinded.
About Dave Kelsey
Contributing author to The Comeback.