The reporters need to give her a break, stop being weird around Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark in the WNBA.

Caitlin Clark at a press conference.

WNBA/X

Caitlin Clark has only been a WNBA player for a couple of weeks and we’ve already had two cringeworthy moments with reporters in Indiana.

The former Iowa Hawkeyes star, who went No. 1 overall to the Indiana Fever, previously had a very awkward interaction with Indy Star columnist Gregg Doyel.

Doyel did Clark’s famous “heart” hand gesture and told her that they’d get along just fine if she did it to him. He later apologized.

“Today in my uniquely oafish way, while welcoming @CaitlinClark22 to Indy, I formed my hands into her signature 🫶. My comment afterward was clumsy and awkward. I sincerely apologize. Please know my heart (literally and figuratively) was well-intentioned. I will do better,” he wrote last month.

Now, this week, Clark was asked by a reporter if her boyfriend, whom the reporter referred to as “bae,” would be at her preseason game.

“Is bae gonna be here?” the reporter asked.

“Huh, no. He’s working… I’m playing solo. I better get used to him, man.”

The amount of coverage that Clark gets is great for women’s basketball, but that doesn’t mean that reporters – or fans – get to treat her like this. You’re not going to see an NBA or NFL top draft pick asked about their non-celebrity significant other.

Please just treat Caitlin Clark like she’s a normal professional athlete and stop being so weird around her.