Caitlin Clark handles another dumb media question like an absolute champ

It looks like reporters might be finding it hard to be normal around Caitlin Clark. 

The barrage of awkward questions thrown at her are becoming more uncomfortable to experience with each passing day. The newest addition to this questionnaire was a probe about Clark’s “bae.”

Before her WNBA debut for the Indiana Fever in the preseason game against the Dallas Wings, Clark was taken aback when a reporter enquired about her boyfriend Connor McCaffery’s plans to attend the game. 

Clark’s response was as calm and candid as it gets.

“Huh, no. He’s working,” she said. “I’m playing solo. I better get used to it, man.”

Last month, in Clark’s first press conference as an Indiana Fever player, she encountered a reporter who demonstrated exactly what kind of coverage women’s sports have been subjected to all these years.

Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel thought it would be funny to form Clark’s signature heart shape with his hands. “Real quick I’ll do this,” he asked. “You like that?” 

“Yeah, I do that at my family after every game,” she said. Clark’s face was laced with discomfort and uneasiness as Doyle then dealt the final blow:

“Well, OK, start doing it to me and we’ll get along just fine.” 

Clark plastered a smile on her face that did not mirror the shock in her widened eyes and mouth and yet she handled the situation with professionalism levels of a veteran.

Throughout her time as a college basketball player and now as a WNBA player, Clark has had the media spotlight shine bright on her. And instead of letting it blind her, she has demonstrated composure, wit, and nuanced expertise while dealing with the attention.

The problem here seems to be inadequate proficiency in reporting on women’s sports. Reporters that have never treated women’s basketball as worthy of coverage are suddenly finding themselves thrust into the rapidly growing scene and they have no experience of dealing with female athletes. 

The answer here might be hiring more women’s basketball writers and reporters, investing in building a team that solely covers sports, and on the whole just avoiding cringe and uncomfortable questions.