A reporter issued a formal apology to WNBA star Caitlin Clark for a viral and awkward interaction that they had during a press conference.

The 22-year-old athlete was the No. 1 draft pick for the Indiana Fever during the 2024 WNBA Draft earlier this week.

On Wednesday (April 17), she had her first official press conference as part of the team. During it, Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel referenced a hand symbol that Caitlin is known for directing toward her family during games.

“Start doing it to me and we’ll get along just fine,” he said, prompting an instant backlash on social media.

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As the comment went viral, Gregg issued a formal apology to Caitlin on X (formerly Twitter).

“Today in my uniquely oafish way, while welcoming @CaitlinClark22 to Indy, I formed my hands into her signature,” he wrote. “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 also wrote a column on the topic, which he shared on the platform, writing, “Today I was part of the problem.”

“What I’ve learned is that I need to be more aware about how I talk to people — not just athletes,” he reflected.

He continued, writing, “You can say that’s absurd, that I should’ve known better, and I do. But here we are. I was just doing what I do, talking to another athlete, another person, and didn’t see the line — didn’t even know there was a line in the vicinity — until I crossed it.”

At the moment, Caitlin does not appear to have responded.

If you missed it, she made an appearance on Saturday Night Live over the weekend to playfully drag one of the cast members.