ESPN host Pat McAfee announced Tuesday that Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has no bad blood with him after he referred to her as a “white b****” on Monday’s show.
McAfee said his comment was made in an effort to defend against those claiming her popularity is based on white privilege. He also noted how many players in the WNBA have become popular despite not being white and that it is possible audiences simply enjoy watching Clark play.
McAfee opened Tuesday’s episode of ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show by stating that he sent an apology to Clark after his comment went viral. He said he made a “massive f***-up” and felt like “the worst human on Earth” when he saw the reaction to his comment online. He also clarified to his audience that he had no intention of coming off as racist or sexist, noting how his comments preceding his “white b****” remark were an attempt to stand up for Clark.
“I did reach out to Caitlin Clark through the Fever PR, sent an apology, and then got a message back that she said it was all good, no blood, we move forward, and she appreciates us reaching out and apologizing,” McAfee said. “So that obviously makes me feel a little bit better, but for the people that got p***ed off yesterday and offended, I understand, I learned a lot, ok? I will say I learned a lot.”
He ended the segment by emphasizing that Clark has boosted the WNBA’s attendance, merchandise sales, and television ratings in recent months.
McAfee also posted on X to apologize for his comment, clarifying that he meant no ill toward her.
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The Fever selected Clark with the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft in April, an achievement she called a dream come true and the culmination of years of hard work. Prior to joining the WNBA, she played at the University of Iowa from 2020 to 2024 and was the 2024 women’s college basketball national player of the year.
Among those claiming that Clark’s popularity stems from “white privilege” was The View co-host Sunny Hostin, who made the remark in an episode last month. Shortly after her comment, TNT’s Charles Barkley said some women are being “petty” in their hate toward Clark and that they should instead be thankful for the attention she has brought to the WNBA.
McAfee added that he has a unique way of complimenting people, noting how he once called Kansas City Chiefs icons Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes “a**holes” to compliment how well they play football. He added that going forward, he needs to keep in mind that some people could take his form of compliments in the wrong way.