With some WNBA fans calling for Dave Portnoy’s ban from league games, the millionaire Barstool Sports founder is floating an idea he believes would put the NBA’s sister circuit out of business.
Portnoy attended the Indiana Fever’s season opener against the visiting Chicago Sky. And while Caitlin Clark’s Fever won easily, it was a flagrant foul by the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year on Chicago rival Angel Reese that has since dominated WNBA media coverage. A visibly upset Reese had to be restrained as she pursued Clark, who seemed irritated that her hard foul on the second-year power forward was being upgraded to a flagrant.
Since then, the league has announced an investigation into allegations of racial abuse by Fever supporters against Reese, who is African American.
Portnoy, an outspoken Clark, has disputed the allegations of racism, calling them ‘bulls***,’ while continuing to slam the WNBA’s supposed mistreatment of its biggest star.
‘You know what’s crazy,’ the 48-year-old Massachusetts native wrote on X. ‘If Caitlin Clark just woke up one morning and decided she was sick of the @WNBA s*** and decided to start her own league which wouldn’t be that difficult with her star power she’d put the WNBA out of business in 2 years.’
Barstool’s ‘El Presidente’ is now the subject of a Change.org petition aimed to blocking him from attending WNBA games.
Reese takes a hard foul from Caitlin Clark during last week’s WNBA season opener
Clark’s Fever are now 1-1 after dropping a game to visiting Atlanta on Tuesday in Indianapolis
Portnoy is seen among several Indiana Fever fans before last week’s opener in Indianapolis
‘The WNBA has always been about creating a safe space for people of all genders, races, and backgrounds to enjoy incredible basketball,’ the petition reads. ‘With the recent media attention women’s basketball has gotten, it has brought some negative, racial attention from people who claim to be ‘fans.’
‘Barstool founder Dave Portnoy has inserted himself into this space, where he has disrespected the talented women of this league. For years, he has been harassing Angel Reese, a Black woman, using his online platform.’
The petition goes on to mention his use of the N-word in previous clips and his successful $350k bet on Clark recording a triple-double against the Sky.
‘This petition is to put pressure on the WNBA, the Indiana Fever, and the NBA to take swift action in banning Dave Portnoy from all NBA and WNBA events in the future,’ the last section of the petition reads. ‘This will show a strong commitment to player safety and show that there are consequences for racist fan behavior, no matter who you are. Please sign and share – let’s help keep the WNBA a safe space for all!’
The petition garnered 1,029 supporters but was closed as of Tuesday evening.
Following the Sky-Fever game, the WNBA announced it was investigating alleged racist abuse against Reese.
Speaking on Monday, Clark herself made her feelings clear on the alleged abuse, telling reporters: ‘There’s no place for that in our game, there’s no place for that in society.’
However, Portnoy – who attended the game in a Fever replica jersey and shorts – alleged that anti-Clark internet ‘trolls’ are responsible for the ‘false’ accusations.
‘We don’t condone hate’, there was no hate,’ Portnoy said, referencing the WNBA’s statement. ‘The only hate was coming from Angel Reese attacking Caitlin Clark.’
Notably, Sky coach Tyler Marsh said the team found about the allegations when everyone else did, and indicated they were not aware of any hate speech during the game.
Reese, meanwhile, said after practice on Tuesday that ‘there’s no place in this league for that.’
‘I think the WNBA and our team and our organization have done a great job supporting me,’ she continued, via The Athletic. ‘I’ve had communication from everyone, from so many people across this league. It could happen to me, it can happen to anyone. And I think they’ve done a good job supporting us in this.’
After the game, Reese issued a blunt eight-word verdict her bust-up with Clark, insisting the referees got it right and urging people to ‘move on.’
When asked for her thoughts on Clark’s foul, she simply said: ‘Basketball play, refs got it right, move on.’
During an in-game interview with ESPN, Clark said there was ‘nothing malicious’ about the foul and called it a basketball play.
‘It’s just a good take foul,’ she said. ‘You know, either Angel gets a wide open two points, or we send them to the free-throw line.’
Chicago is now 0-2 on the young season while Indiana is 1-1 following Tuesday night’s 91-90 loss to visiting Atlanta.
The Sky and Fever will meet again on June 7 in Chicago.
