May 3, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts during the second half against the Dallas Wings at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
WNBA: Preseason-Indiana Fever at Dallas Wings
INDIANAPOLIS – The reporter who went viral for his awkward interaction with Caitlin Clark at a press conference just found out his punishment.
Gregg Doyel, a columnist with the Indianapolis Star has been suspended for two weeks, longtime Indianapolis sportswriter Bob Kravitz reported.
As additional punishment, Doyel will not attend any of Clark’s rookie games this season but will instead cover them for opinion stories by watching them on TV.
The report did not specify if the suspension is paid or unpaid.
At the presser, Doyel made the heart gesture with his hands at Clark, a motion she made toward her family during games while she played college basketball at Iowa.
“You like that?” Clark responded.
“I like that you’re here, I like that you’re here,” Doyel said.
Clark explained that she made the gesture at her family, and Doyel responded, “Start doing it to me and we’ll get along just fine.”
Shortly after the bizarre interaction with Clark, Doyel wrote an apology column. Unfortunately, that apology didn’t go over well when users discovered his history of similarly questionable comments toward female athletes.
“I now realize what I said and how I said it was wrong, wrong, wrong. I mean it was just wrong,” he concluded the column. “Caitlin Clark, I’m so sorry.”
The news comes as Indiana is set to wrap up the preseason Thursday before the WNBA season starts on May 14.
