RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 3 sourcesPhoto credit:
Credit: Soobum Im/Getty Images
Dave Portnoy is defending Caitlin Clark after Megyn Kelly criticized the WNBA star for declining to weigh in on a controversial issue. The Barstool Sports founder blasted Kelly on social media, arguing Clark should not be pressured into making political statements. The exchange comes as debate continues around the Caitlin Clark controversy.
Portnoy called out Kelly for attacking Clark, arguing the athlete does not owe anyone a political stance
According to RadarOnline , Kelly called Clark a “coward” after the WNBA star declined to take a position on transgender athletes during a recent press conference. Portnoy quickly pushed back. He called Kelly “an absolute moron/idiot” and defended Clark’s decision to stay focused on basketball.
Absolute moron/idiot to call Caitlin a coward for this answer. 1st of all you don’t even know how she feels on this issue and more importantly she doesn’t owe it to you or anybody else to be your political talking point. She just wants to play ball. Total coward cheap shot… https://t.co/2jQhHizK8Q
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) August 3, 2026 He added that it was a “total coward cheap shot” to criticize Clark for refusing to become “your puppet.”
Kelly later responded by telling Portnoy to “sit this one out.” She argued that the issue was more significant than he suggested and defended her position. The debate began after Clark was asked about teammate Sophie Cunningham and her recent comments about transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. Clark declined to offer a personal opinion, saying the issue should be handled by leagues and governing bodies. She also said those discussions were not a focus inside the Fever locker room.
Cunningham recently drew attention after saying that she believes transgender women should not compete in women’s sports. She later clarified that her comments were not rooted in hatred toward transgender people but were instead about protecting women’s sports.
The controversy has sparked strong reactions across the sports world. It has also placed Clark at the center of a political debate despite her efforts to avoid taking sides. Kelly’s criticism of the WNBA star had already made headlines before Portnoy publicly entered the conversation.
TELL US: DO YOU THINK CAITLIN CLARK WAS RIGHT TO AVOID TAKING A PUBLIC STANCE ON THE ISSUE?
The post Megyn Kelly’s Caitlin Clark Criticism Sparks Fiery Response From Dave Portnoy appeared first on Mandatory .
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.