Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy is not here for any Caitlin Clark hate — especially in comparison to Paige Bueckers.
“I’m going to need all the race baiters who explain Caitlin Clark’s popularity simply because she’s white to explain why 10 million more people watched her last year than Paige Bueckers (also white) this year,” Portnoy, 48, wrote via X on Monday, April 7. “I’ll hang up and listen.”
A graphic breaking down the viewing stats for Clark’s championship game last year over Bueckers’ this year accompanied his message. The photo stated that 18.9 million viewers tuned into the 2024 Women’s College Basketball National Championship (an all-time record) to see Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes play — and lose — to the South Carolina Gamecocks.
The 2025 Women’s College Basketball National Championship, which took place on Sunday, April 6, only drew in 8.5 million viewers, who saw Bueckers, 23, and the University of Connecticut Huskies win over the Gamecocks.
Portnoy continued to praise Clark, also 23, in a second post shared via X on Tuesday, April 8.
Related: Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s College Basketball Dynamic Explained
Women’s college basketball has never been more popular, thanks in large part to a fierce rivalry between two of the game’s biggest stars. Iowa’s Caitlin Clark — who became the all-time NCAA scoring leader this season — and LSU’s Angel Reese — who was named SEC Player of the Year — have helped usher in […]
“This may be the most incredible Caitlin Clark video I’ve ever seen,” he wrote alongside a video of Clark shooting and making several three-pointers. “A lost scrimmage video vs the men’s practice team at Iowa in which Caitlin goes berserker mode and scores 22 points in 2 minutes. She is the one.”
Portnoy has defended Clark several times throughout her basketball career. In December 2024, he went on a rant claiming that Clark’s “popularity has absolutely nothing to do with the color of her skin.”
This may be the most incredible Caitlin Clark video I’ve ever seen. A lost scrimmage video vs the men’s practice team at Iowa in which Caitlin goes berserker mode and scores 22 points in 2 minutes. She is the one. pic.twitter.com/7yS77C8hoR
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) April 8, 2025
Clark, who is currently playing in the WNBA as a guard on the Indiana Fever, and Bueckers were often compared — and pitted against each other — during their respective college careers.
Related: Serena Williams Praises Caitlin Clark for Staying ‘Grounded’
Caitlin Clark is changing the trajectory of women’s basketball with her record-breaking stats and long-range shots — and celebrities are taking notice. The senior Iowa Hawkeyes guard averaged 32 points per game during the regular season, and in March she became the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer across men’s and women’s basketball, breaking a […]
Now, Clark is weighing in on the possibility of Bueckers joining her in the WNBA — but on a different team, of course. If Bueckers is the top pick in the WNBA Draft, which is set to take place in New York City next week, she’ll join the Dallas Wings organization.
“I think she’ll honestly fit right in,” Clark said of Bueckers during the NCAA championship broadcast on Sunday. “[College Park Center] is fun to play in too. It’s a small place, it’s loud. You know, honestly, they should move every game to American Airlines [Arena] because I think Paige has that type of draw. She’ll be able to bring those types of fans in.”
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