Dave Portnoy lashes back at Stephen A. Smith over Caitlin Clark comments
Dave Portnoy has issued a passionate defense of Caitlin Clark after the WNBA star was subject to comments from ESPN host Stephen A. Smith.
Barstool Sports chief Dave Portnoy has lashed out at ESPN host Stephen A. Smith over his take on Caitlin Clark's clash with the Connecticut Sun. After Clark was involved in several early incidents, three players were ejected following a fourth-quarter scuffle in the Indiana Fever's 88-71 win over the Sun.
The Fever regained its bite in their last two games, defeating the defending champions, the New York Liberty, and ending its unbeaten start to the 2025 season before beating the Sun with Clark integral after returning from injury. However, Clark found herself floored against the Sun after a run-in with a longtime nemesis in Jacy Sheldon.
In the second quarter, tensions flared when Clark voiced her frustration over Sheldon's defense on the prior play. In response, Sheldon walked over and commented, prompting Clark— a former top pick— to shove her. Connecticut's Marina Mabrey gave Clark a light shove, leading Fever guard Lexie Hull to step in.
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The scuffle was quickly broken up, and no penalties were given at the time. However, things escalated in the third quarter when Sheldon struck Clark in the head while attempting to play the ball. Clark responded by shoving Sheldon, prompting Mabrey to barrel into Clark, sending her to the floor. Clark and Mabrey were each assessed technical fouls, while Sheldon received a Flagrant 1.
That prompted a response from nine-figure ESPN pundit Smith, who suggested Clark wasn't entirely innocent in the escalating brawl. "Clearly, when it comes to Caitlin Clark, there's some resentment, as I've articulated before. What people are missing, Monica, is that I have no problem with it whatsoever," Smith said during Wednesday's episode of 'First Take.'
"Yes, there's resentment... this is much ado about nothing! In the heat of competition, tempers flare! Last time I checked, women got tempers just like men do. It ain't a problem! It ain't a problem at all! It ain't no big deal at all! I love it, personally.
"Caitlin Clark being that golden goose, that rising tide that's lifting all boats, I stand by my past proclamations that there's resentment towards her because of that. But I want to take it a step further: There's also resentment towards her because she instigates resentment towards her sometimes."
However, Portnoy, a staunch Clark fan who has been seen courtside at Fever games wearing the 23-year-old's jersey, leaped to the WNBA superstar's defense. Portnoy used a 'Jeopardy!' reference to shut the commentator down.
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"I'll take things that never happened but ESPN always pretends did for 100 Alex. Less solitaire. More facts @1stephenasmith," Portnoy wrote on X.
Clark refused to address the unsavory scenes in her post-match press conference. "You guys came for basketball; let's talk about basketball," she said.
