Barstool Sports president Dave Portnoy railed against the WNBA social media team for an apparent slight against Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark to promote a Sunday doubleheader.
The official league account tweeted out a graphic highlighting Sunday’s games between the Las Vegas Aces and Atlanta Dream as well as the contest between the Fever and the Seattle Storm.
On the left half of the graphic, the Aces-Dream game featured the faces of Las Vegas superstar A’ja Wilson and newly acquired Dream star Angel Reese.
But Portnoy took issue with the right side of the graphic – which showed a pair of former South Carolina teammates: Zia Cooke of the Storm and Fever rookie Raven Johnson.
Portnoy interpreted this as a slap in the face to Clark and called out the league for it.
‘If this is real and I think it is this is the most idiotic promo I’ve ever seen in sports,’ Portnoy tweeted.
Barstool Sports president Dave Portnoy was outraged over a snub toward Caitlin Clark
A promo graphic for Sunday’s Fever-Storm game featured Raven Johnson instead of Clark
Portnoy interpreted this as a snub of Clark and as a middle-finger to her fans
‘I like Raven Johnson. But to not put Caitlin Clark on every graphic for every Fever game is literally the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.
‘Like would you ever promote a Lakers game without LeBron? Spurs without Wemby? OKC without SGA? It’s so intentional I can’t wrap my brain around it. How can this league be so god damn stupid?’
He then posted a video sharing a similar sentiment: ‘Now, I like Raven Johnson. You can go back when the Fever drafted her and everyone was complaining. I’m like, I actually think she brings tough toughness, good D. I’m happy with the pick. She was a bear at South Carolina.
‘She also averages 1 point a game, doesn’t get a ton of burn, doesn’t get a ton of minutes. Caitlin Clark, by the way, just put up 30, had the whole sports world talking about her.
‘Caitlin Clark is the face of your league and she’s not on the [graphic] from the WNBA account. You have Raven Johnson and not Caitlin on that.’
Portnoy concluded: ‘To go with Raven Johnson, a rookie who averages 1 point a game and does nothing, that is so intentional by whoever did that on the WNBA, who’s running their account. You have to fire them.
‘You are openly saying we hate Caitlin Clark, we hate her fans, we don’t want you… you got us all this millions, Caitlin, and the private jets and all that stuff, but we f***ing hate you. Who did that? Fire em, WNBA.’
Clark helped to lead the Fever to an 11-point win over the Storm, leading Indiana in five stats
After the game tipped off, Johnson would go on to have a career-high in minutes with 17 minutes off the bench.
However, she only took one shot (which she missed) and ended the night with no points, three rebounds, an assist and a block.
Clark, on the other hand, led the Fever in points (21), rebounds (7), assists (10) and blocks (2) to carry Indiana to an 89-78 victory over the Storm.
Despite continuing to have struggles protecting the ball – as evidenced by her game-high five turnovers – Clark continued her hot form just days after dropping 32 points in an overtime loss to the Washington Mystics.
Clark and the Fever next play on Wednesday when they host the Portland Fire.
