"Can't believe she rock w that clown" - WNBA fans react to Caitlin Clark's reported dinner with Dave Portnoy 

Indiana Fever All-Star guard Caitlin Clark reportedly had a dinner with Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy. Fans picked it up and shared their thoughts on social media.

The two were present for an Axon event in Arizona this week, with Clark as a guest speaker. After the event, they had dinner where they talked about various stuff.

The encounter elicited various reactions from fans, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to make their thoughts known.

Below are what some of them wrote.

"Can’t believe she Rock w that clown, embarrassing," one fan wrote as he expressed his "concern."

But one did not read too much into it, saying, "They were both at the events dinner don’t mean she rock with him."

Another further elaborated on their connection, sharing, "They know each other since her sophomore or junior college. Hes a hard fan since. Iowa n now fever."

One comment, meanwhile, surmised that it could well be for business, writing, "Dave Portnoy had dinner with Caitlin Clark last night. I sense a huge business deal with Barstool. I see merch coming since Nike has shelved her, and hopefully Caitlin Clark Barstool bars and restaurants. She said she always wanted to open a Rib Crib when she was on New Heights."

The same fan added, "Caitlin Clark and Dave Portnoy had dinner. I see a business deal. I want Caitlin Clark’s name on barstool restaurants and bars!"

A user, however, was not too high on a business association between Clark and Barstool, chiming in with, "That’s one step too close to gambling sites for me. While I like Barstool, I’d rather CC stay arms length from anything associated with sports betting."

Another also said, "Associating with him would be bad for her brand. Makes more sense for Angel Reese. Or Joy Taylor."

Barstool Sports is a digital media company that creates sports-related content founded by Portnoy in 2003. Through the years, from being a newspaper in the Boston area, it has expanded to doing podcasts, videos and live events.

Dave Portnoy defends Caitlin Clark from accusations of race baiting

In winning Time Magazine's "Athlete of the Year" for 2024, Caitlin Clark made sure to give WNBA black players plaudits for paving the way for her and others to do their thing. Some, however, were not too sold on her gesture, claiming it was a form of race baiting.

Among those who defended the Indiana Fever star from unwarranted criticism was Dave Portnoy, who said on social media that those who were against what Clark did were the true problem.

He said:

"Anyone who's mad at Caitlin Clark for saying she wants to elevate the league, she respects the players that came before them. If you have a problem with that you were never a Cailtin Clark fan and you're part of the problem too."

Clark had a banner first year in the WNBA on her way to becoming the Rookie of the Year. She is also largely being credited for driving renewed interest into the league, both from old and new fans.