Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy has publicly criticized commentator Megyn Kelly, labeling her an "absolute moron" for her remarks about WNBA player Caitlin Clark. The dispute arose after Kelly branded Clark a "coward" for her refusal to comment on teammate Sophie Cunningham's controversial stance on transgender athletes.
Cunningham recently stated that young girls "shouldn't have to go against biological men" in sports. Following this, Clark was questioned by reporters about Cunningham's comments after the Indiana Fever's loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday. Clark deflected the questions, emphasizing that her team's focus remains on basketball and that such matters are for leagues and governing bodies to address.
Kelly took to X, formerly Twitter, to criticize Clark's response. "Absolute moron/idiot to call Caitlin a coward for this answer," Portnoy responded to Kelly's post. "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."
Portnoy, a vocal supporter of Clark, accused Kelly of making a "cheap shot" and trying to make Clark a "puppet" for her political agenda. Kelly, in turn, defended her position, suggesting that Portnoy did not understand the significance of the issue and that one instance of a transgender athlete impacting a cisgender athlete would be sufficient reason for concern. She invited him to watch her show for a more detailed discussion.
The exchange occurred amid ongoing protests and discussions surrounding transgender athletes in women's sports. Outside the arena where the Fever played, protestors from both sides of the debate clashed. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was also seen wearing a "Trans Kids Belong" shirt and engaged in a discussion with Cunningham during the game, which she later described as an educational exchange.
Clark has consistently maintained that her team's priority is on their performance on the court. The controversy surrounding Cunningham's remarks has continued to draw attention to the WNBA, with the issue of transgender participation in sports becoming a focal point of public debate.