The Indiana Fever welcomed their No. 1 overall pick, Caitlin Clark, at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, which was streamed live to thousands of fans.
The event, meant to be a celebratory introduction, took an awkward turn during an exchange between Clark and Indianapolis Star reporter Gregg Doyel.
Doyel attempted to connect with Clark by mimicking her signature hand signal — a heart shape she routinely makes to her family during games. His gesture, however, did not land as intended. “Hi Caitlin, Gregg Doyel Indy Star,” he began, forming the hand signal.
“You like that?” Clark responded.
“I like that you’re here,” Doyel replied.
“I do it to my family after every game…pretty cool,” Clark said, trying to steer the conversation back to a more comfortable place.
“Do it to me and we’ll get along just fine,” Doyel added, a comment that caused visible discomfort in the room, evident from the uneasy laughter that followed.
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The interaction quickly drew criticism online, with fans expressing their discomfort. “Why are you so creepy dude?” one fan commented. Another remarked, “Gregg freaking Doyle? What is wrong with you? My goodness, let’s creep out our new star.”
The awkward moment overshadowed what was intended to be a warm introduction for the WNBA’s newest player
