Dave Portnoy came to Caitlin Clark 's defense after another huge performance was not enough to save the Indiana Fever from a narrow loss.
The Fever fell 104-102 in overtime against the Washington Mystics , but Clark still gave her supporters plenty of ammunition.
That is why Portnoy aimed his anger at the recent Jeremy Lin comparison, arguing that Clark remains the central figure in the WNBA even when Indiana loses.
Photo by Miikka Skaffari/Getty Images
As Dave Portnoy wrote after the Fever's loss to the Mystics, he still viewed Clark as the league's biggest force.
"Tough loss, but she is the league. The guy who called her Jeremy Lin should have his tongue cut out," Portnoy tweeted.
Portnoy was reacting to Tyrone Johnson's viral take that Clark's hype was closer to "Linsanity" than a lasting superstar rise.
Johnson made the comparison after Indiana's season-opening loss to the Dallas Wings , arguing that Clark was not the best player or even the best guard from her college class.
That take aged poorly quickly. Clark followed it by putting together another major performance, even if the Fever could not close the game.
Clark finished with 32 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds against Washington, while shooting 7-of-17 from three.
Her biggest stretch came late. After struggling early, Clark exploded in the fourth quarter and hit a contested three with 1.7 seconds left to force overtime.
Indiana still lost, with Washington surviving behind big games from Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen .
But the result did not erase what Clark did. She dragged the Fever back into the game and nearly stole it with the kind of shot that explains why her spotlight remains so large.
That is why Portnoy's defense landed with Clark's supporters. The Fever are still figuring out how to win these games, but Clark's star power and production are not disappearing.
Calling her a brief "Linsanity" moment was always going to invite backlash. After a 32-point night and another viral clutch shot, Portnoy made sure that backlash was loud.
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