Dave Portnoy admits Fever star Caitlin Clark ignored him over Stephanie White issue

Stephanie White continues to draw raw attention following her fiery pregame presser on Tuesday. Fans and sports and media personalities, including Dave Portnoy, heavily criticized her for it. The Barstool Sports founder made it known that he does not believe the Indiana Fever head coach didn’t see the controversial moment during Saturday’s game. He added that he reached out to Caitlin Clark.

DiJonai Carrington hit Sophie Cunningham on the head and received a Flagrant 2 foul. White faced backlash for her comments during her postgame availability as many believed she defended the Chicago Sky guard. This led White to fire back at critics, delivering a strong message ahead of Tuesday’s game versus the New York Liberty.

Fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse booed the 49-year-old during the player introductions. However, Clark showed her support by hugging her and whispering some words of encouragement.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Valkyries.

Indiana Fever: Dave Portnoy’s text message gets ghosted by Caitlin Clark

Portnoy admitted on Wednesday that he sent Clark a text message, asking her about White’s situation. However, he did not receive a reply from the three-time All-Star.

“I will say this, and I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this, or this is disingenuous or makes me a bad media person or a bad friend or whatever, but I did send Caitlin Clark a text,” Portnoy said. “I’m like, ‘Listen, what is she doing, Stephanie White? You have to come defend us. Off the record, what’s going on?’

“And she ghosted that text. And then I saw her publicly have Stephanie White’s back, which does carry a lot of weight if they have her back in the locker room. That’s a moral issue.”

Portnoy sent text to Caitlin saying what is Stephanie doing after the Mustard flagrant and the non defense of her player. CC ghosted that text. LOL. pic.twitter.com/Uyx0kHvV1O

— CCFC-New season (@sohali2012) August 12, 2026

Clark also made it clear after Tuesday’s matchup that she did not appreciate Fever fans booing White. She stressed that she has her back and that hearing the boos made her “a little sick.” Clark, White and Indiana will return to action on Friday at home versus the Dallas Wings. Many are looking forward to seeing what the reception will be like for White.