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Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy is the latest to chime in on the Caitlin Clark-Alyssa Thomas controversy.
Last week, Thomas delivered a dirty hit on Clark during the Phoenix Mercury-Indiana Fever game. Despite the hard foul, Thomas was not called for a foul on Clark.
🔥Hold up…A closer look at the dirty play by Alyssa Thomas last night w/ a new angle — Wait for the freeze + zoom on each.
– Knee to the groin
– Pinches her underarm
– Fist to the throat
– Attempt to stomp on her (she moved)Why do @WNBA players hate Caitlin Clark so much? 🤯 pic.twitter.com/83JZSChdEu
— HeroOfTheDay (@Hero_OfThe_Day) June 25, 2026
Clark’s teammate Sophie Cunningham immediately blasted the league for not protecting Clark during a podcast appearance.
“During real time last night, I did not see that happen,” Cunningham said. “None of our team saw it happen, because I promise you, if we would have seen that happen, we would have had [Clark’s] back. Unfortunately, this type of shit happens every single game to [Clark], and the league and the refs do absolutely nothing about it.”
“You see the videos of literally kneeing and cheap-shotting [Clark] in the throat,” Cunningham continued. “If [Thomas] did that to any of our teammates, we’d be pissed. But they are definitely targeting [Clark], and the league and the refs do nothing to protect her.”
WNBA player Sophie Cunningham calls out WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert by name, accusing the league of failing to protect Caitlin Clark. pic.twitter.com/68N8kBkgiu
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) June 28, 2026
On Monday’s edition of Wake Up, Barstool, Portnoy also ripped into the league over their treatment of Clark.
“Well, it’s the worst marketed league in the history of leagues,” Portnoy said of the WNBA.
“And it’s jealousy and it’s, I don’t know, hypocrisy. And it’s just not knowing where your bread is buttered is what it is. And they don’t like that she has been crowned this queen of the league before she even showed up. And they want to make a point. About it and they continue to make a point about it.”
“It’s the worst marketed league in the history of leagues. They’re absolute morons” -Dave Portnoy talking about how the WNBA treats Caitlin Clark pic.twitter.com/wTu4qPC2BN
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 29, 2026