The WNBA has seen an unprecedented boom in the last couple of years. Ever since Caitlin Clark entered the league, records have been breaking left, right and center. From TV viewership, merchandise sales, to overall fan engagement, the WNBA is quickly becoming a global phenomenon, with the Caitlin Clark effect in full swing. Through her 2 years in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark has managed to get some pretty high profile fans. One such fan who have been defending her since day one is, Dave Portnoy.

Barstool Sports founder and famous Pizza taster, Dave Portnoy is a very passionate basketball fan. He has often been embroiled in controversies or even trolls while supporting Boston Celtics. And now, he is again involved in a controversy. This time however, it involves Caitlin Clark and the infamous Indy Star reporter, Gregg Doyel.

IndyCar recently partnered with Dave for their last race of 2025 at the Nashville Superspeedway on August 31. However, Indy Star reporter Gregg Doyel criticized them, citing that Dave’s and his brand’s history is built on ‘mean-spirited and misogynistic’ content and that they should not be promoting him. Responding to him, Dave Portnoy dug up Gregg Doyel’s incident with Caitlin Clark. He replied to Doyel’s X post saying, “Says the guy who was basically issued a restraining order to stay away from Caitlin Clark. Cry more loser.”

This isn’t the first time Dave Portnoy has clashed with Gregg Doyel. Just a few days after Caitlin Clark became the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, her press conference involved an awkward moment with Gregg Doyel. Referencing Caitlin Clark’s traditional heart gesture towards her family, Doyel said “Ok, well start doing that to me and we’ll get along just fine.” He faced a lot of backlash for his comments.

Dave Portnoy wasn’t far behind in calling him out and defending CC. He made this thoughts known on X saying, “Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever Career Begins With Gregg Doyel Being A s- pervert At Introductory Press Conference.” He also called on Indy Star Sports to take action against him. His and many others’ words seemed to do the trick as Gregg Doyel was banned from covering Caitlin Clark.

Now with another controversy with Gregg alleging Dave and his brand as ‘misogynistic’, Dave has brought Gregg’s own history to clap back at him. Till now, there has been no response from Gregg Doyel’s side. But knowing Dave, if there is one, he won’t back down. He is famous for his outspokenness and rants when it comes to sports and especially when it comes to defending his favorite player, Caitlin Clark.

Dave Portnoy and His History of Defending Caitlin Clark

Dave Portnoy has never shied away from telling what’s on his mind. However, when it comes to defending Caitlin Clark or the Indiana Fever fans, he goes on another level. Be it opponent players, referees, or even the entire league itself, he doesn’t back down. On multiple occasions, he has called out WNBA officials for the lack of foul calls that she gets. It is pretty evident that Caitlin Clark has to deal with a lot of excessive physicality. This increased physicality is a contributing factor in her injuries this year. Like any passionate fan, Portnoy has lambasted the refs and the league for not taking care of their superstar.

When the WNBA launched an investigation the alleged racist comments made during Indiana Fever’s game against the Chicago Sky, Dave came to the Indiana Fever fans’ aid. He dismissed those claims and even claimed that the league is giving credibility to rumours. There to witness the game, he dubbed the Indiana fans as ‘nice crowd’ of ‘little girls, families, ladies.’ However, unlike some fans who don’t call out their favorite players when they are not performing, Dave does.

After the Indiana Fever suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Golden State Valkyries, Dave Portnoy called out Caitlin Clark for her “terrible” game. He made a post on X saying, “Caitlin had a terrible game. Happy for Kate Martin though.” Even though he is a die-hard Caitlin Clark fan, he is not afraid to admit when she is not at her best. This further solidifies Portnoy’s credentials as an outspoken, but well informed fan.