Reporter suspended for ‘creepy’ Caitlin Clark exchange
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INDIANAPOLIS (WJW) — A sports writer for the Indianapolis Star named Gregg Doyel “will not be covering the Indiana Fever,” the newspaper said in a statement Tuesday, after Doyel used a news conference to recently greet the team’s No. 1 draft pick, Caitlin Clark, with a “heart” hand gesture and verbal exchange that were widely criticized.
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Bob Kravitz, who writes sports for the IndyStar and The Athletic, reported Tuesday that Doyel is serving a two-week suspension because of his actions.
Doyel used the meet and greet news conference in Indianapolis to ask his first questions to Clark by making a “heart” symbol with his hands in a gesture toward the basketball star as a reference to the heart hand sign she often makes to her family after games.
Clark replied to Doyel’s hand heart gesture by saying, “You like that?”
“I like that you’re here. I like that you’re here,” Doyel said.
Doyel wrapped up the exchange by saying, “OK, well, listen, start doing it (heart gesture) to me and we’ll get along just fine.”
Social media lit up with people calling the writer’s banter “awkward” amongst other things.
Doyel later addressed his actions with an apology when he wrote that it was “creepy” to welcome Clark to Indianapolis in this manner.
You can watch the exchange Doyel started with Clark in the video posted by TMZ by clicking here.
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Clark and the WNBA’s Indianapolis Fever’s regular season starts May 14 with a road game against the Connecticut Sun.
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