Fans Furious as Reporter Banned Over Caitlin Clark Incident Returns to Fever Beat
After not covering the Indiana Fever in person for over a year, Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel made his return to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse sidelines on Saturday for the team's preseason matchup against the Washington Mystics.
But given Doyel's controversial history with the team's biggest star Caitlin Clark, many fans weren't thrilled to see him back.
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Doyel had a bizarre run-in with Clark during her first press conference after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Fever last season. He introduced himself to Clark by emulating her famous heart-shaped hand gesture, which caught Clark by surprise.
The Iowa alum then asked him if he was a fan of the gesture, which she disclosed she does for her family after every game, and he fired back with a cringey response that landed him in hot water.
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark (22) smiles during a timeout during a preseason game against the Washington Mystics.Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
'Start doing it with me and we'll get along just fine,' Doyel replied.
His remarks resulted in a two-week suspension from the Indy Star, and he didn't cover a single Fever game during Clark's rookie season. But now that a new WNBA league year is right around the corner, Doyel's Fever ban is seemingly lifted.
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The longtime journalist announced his return to the Fever beat on Saturday with a since-deleted post on X that drew some heated reactions from the team's fans about him being allowed to be back around the team.
Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyle posted and deleted a tweet announcing his return to the Indiana Fever beat after being banned for an inappropriate interaction with Caitlin Clark.X (@greggdoyelstar)
'Should have been a perma ban,' one fan exclaimed.
'Now why tf wasn't this a lifetime ban??' asked another.
'Ugh. I liked it better when he was banned,' a third fan stated.
'Get this guy OUT of there now!' remarked one user.
'Please get away from her (Clark),' another user replied.
The social media backlash he was getting likely prompted Doyel to delete his post. He also turned off comments on all of the other posts he published on Saturday.
Related: Pregame Interaction Between Caitlin Clark, Ex-Fever Assistant is Turning Heads
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