Pat McAfee realized pretty quickly that he messed up when he referred to basketball star Caitlin Clark as a “white bitch.” Hours after the ESPN talk show host made the off-color remark, he posted an apology on social media.

“I shouldn’t have used ‘white bitch’ as a descriptor of Caitlin Clark,” he wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “No matter the context.. even if we’re talking about race being a reason for some of the stuff happening.. I have way too much respect for her and women to put that into the universe.”

He continued, “My intentions when saying it were complimentary just like the entire segment but, a lot of folks are saying that it certainly wasn’t at all. That’s 100% on me and for that I apologize. I have sent an apology to Caitlin as well.”

However, McAfee noted that “everything else” he said was “still alllllll facts.”

During Monday’s (June 3) episode of The Pat McAfee Show, McAfee argued that Clark is the reason behind the WNBA’s sudden surge in popularity. The athlete first gained attention playing for the University of Iowa before becoming the WNBA’s No. 1 draft pick this year.

“What we’re trying to say is, what the WNBA currently has is what we like to describe as a cash cow,” McAfee said of the Indiana Fever player, per The Hollywood Reporter. “There is a superstar. But I would like the media people that continue to say, ‘This rookie class, this rookie class.’ Nah, just call it for what it is. There is one white bitch for the Indiana team who is a superstar.”
Despite bringing renewed interest to the WNBA, Clark has faced her fair share of criticism, with people like former ESPN host Jemele Hill claiming her popularity is largely due to her race and sexuality as a straight white woman. Even The View co-host Sunny Hostin suggested that Clark is “relatable to more people because she’s white, because she’s attractive, and unfortunately, there still is that stigma against the LGBTQ+ community.”
But McAfee wasn’t buying into that narrative.

“Is there a chance people just enjoy watching her play basketball because of how electrifying she is, what she did, what she stood for, how she went about going what she went for?” McAfee asked, per THR. “Maybe. But instead, we have to hear people say we only like her because she’s white, and she’s only popular because the rest of the rookie class is doing what they’re doing.”