Barstool Sports founder and owner Dave Portnoy expressed extreme frustration with the WNBA for their lack of promotion of Caitlin Clark as the league’s biggest superstar.
Portnoy, who is an avid WNBA fan, said he’s a big fan of Clark and couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t use her image on the graphic for Sunday’s doubleheader.
The graphic featured the first game, with Las Vegas Aces star A’Ja Wilson and the Atlanta Dream’s Angel Reese, to sell the matchup. However, the second game featured Clark’s rookie teammate, Raven Johnson, as the featured star for their matchup against the Seattle Storm.
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“If this is real and I think it is this is the most idiotic promo I’ve ever seen in sports. 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?” Portnoy said in his X message on Sunday.
He also released a two-minute video blasting the lack of promotion for Clark and suggested that whoever put that graphic up should be fired. He mentioned that Clark recently set a WNBA record and was baffled by the lack of promotion.
“There is no conclusion to make other than the @WNBA hates Caitlin Clark by today’s marketing decision,” Portnoy wrote in a message with his video.
By now, it’s no secret that Clark is a significant boost for the league in attracting more viewers, merchandise sales, and ticket purchases.
In 2024, Sportico reported the Fever broke attendance records during Clark’s rookie season, and unsurprisingly, they continue to be a popular draw for fans to see Clark and her team in action.
Since her debut, her popularity has helped drive higher viewership for various televised games. And that recently included the Fever’s 2026 season opener against the Dallas Wings, featuring fellow No. 1 picks Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers.
The league or marketing department isn’t the only one drawing backlash from fans about the lack of praise for Clark. Following the team’s overtime loss several days ago, in which Clark led the team in scoring, her coach praised the team’s effort when asked about Clark’s.
That led many fans to express frustration with Stephanie White, with some accusing her of hating her best player.
While the league most likely wants to promote new stars beyond Clark, it seems curious that the doubleheader promotion featured multi-time MVP and champion A’ja Wilson, as well as Angel Reese, a popular star drafted the same year as Clark.
One would think the WNBA would do everything possible to keep Clark front and center as the face of the league, especially as the league continues to add expansion teams in new cities, including Toronto.
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For more about the WNBA, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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