Dave Portnoy said Indiana Fever fans “deserve better” after the franchise and the WNBA “made something outta nothing” with the league’s investigation into allegations of racism during the Fever-Sky game on May 17.
The Barstool Sports founder, who attended that game, called the investigation “bulls–t” while reacting to a statement from the WNBA on Tuesday, which revealed the league found no evidence to substantiate claims of racist remarks from fans.
“It’s okay to have a spine @IndianaFever,” Portnoy, who is a diehard Clark fan, wrote on X, including a statement from the Fever that responded to the conclusion of the review. “The ‘investigation’ was bulls–t. Both you and @WNBA gave credibly [sic] to a very obvious troll. @espn ran with it. @CaitlinClark22 had to defend her fans for no reason. You made something outta nothing. @IndianaFever fans deserve better.”
Portnoy was referring to ESPN’s reporting on the situation.
On Tuesday, ESPN personality Chiney Ogwumike discussed the WNBA’s statement and publicly apologized for her initial reaction to the situation, which she said was in the heat of the moment and after she spoke with people close to the situation.
“I am sorry that my message was in the heat of the moment, cause when I initially spoke on the topic, it really came from a place of care,” Ogwumike said on a video on social media. “It was based on first-hand conversations with people very close to the situation who raised real concerns, and they told me what they had experienced, and I felt like it was important and it was necessary to acknowledge those allegations and also voice those experiences.”
In her initial reaction, Ogwumike said on her podcast that “players and coaches of the Chicago Sky have said that they heard things that were out of bounds coming from the fans in Indiana during the game, and that caused the WNBA to launch an investigation into the matter.”
Sky coach Tyler Marsh said he became aware that alleged hate speech happened at the game “when everyone else did,” adding that it’s “something we heard about.”
During the Fever’s home opener against the Sky, Indiana guard Caitlin Clark was issued a flagrant foul against Chicago forward Angel Reese in the third quarter.
After the foul, Clark walked away and Reese was held back by teammates as she tried to approach her.
Allegations later emerged that racist comments from fans were aimed at Reese during the Fever’s 93-58 win.
The situation only fueled the Clark-Reese rivalry that started during their college days when Reese and LSU defeated Clark and the Hawkeyes in the 2023 NCAA title game.
However, the WNBA couldn’t substantiate the allegations following a week-long investigation.
“We have investigated the report of racist fan behavior in the vicinity of the court during the May 17, 2025 Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever game,” the WNBA’s statement read. “Based on information gathered to date, including from relevant fans, team and arena staff, as well as audio and video review of the game, we have not substantiated it. The WNBA is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for everyone and will continue to be vigilant in enforcing our fan code of conduct.”
The Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky issued their own statement in response to the WNBA’s findings in a statement of their own.