Indiana
ESPN analyst slammed for saying Fever is ‘more dangerous’ without Caitlin Clark amid injury absence
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Amid Caitlin Clark’s extended injury absence from the Indiana Fever, at least one media pundit has suggested the team is better without the superstar.
ESPN’s Carolyn Peck said on the network on Thursday that Indiana is a “more dangerous” team without Clark on the floor.
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Carolyn Peck speaks before the game between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty during Game One of the 2024 WNBA Finals on October 10, 2024 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. (David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images)
“I think that Indiana is even more dangerous when Caitlin Clark doesn’t play, because she’s a ball-dominant guard,” she said. “The ball’s in her hands a lot, so you know what you need to try to take away. But when you look at Indiana now, they’ve got so many weapons.”
Peck gave specific praise to Fever players Kelsey Mitchell, Aari McDonald and Aliyah Boston. Peck did not appear to give praise to Fever stars Sophie Cunningham or Lexie Hull.
“When you have a point guard like Kelsey Mitchell, and Aari McDonald making plays on the perimeter, and a post like Aliyah Boston, I’m gonna tell you: Indiana, they are a threat. And it’s specifically on the defensive end,” Peck said.
Peck’s comments went viral on social media, inciting the wrath of Clark’s loyal supporters.
Barstool founder Dave Portnoy reposted the clip of Peck’s comments on X, writing, “I knew this was gonna happen.”
The popular sports commentary X account “BricksCenter” also shared the clip, writing, “Their hatred toward CC needs to be studied.”
Hundreds of smaller accounts made their criticisms of Peck’s analysis known.
WNBA ROOKIE PAIGE BUECKERS SAYS MEDIA ‘TRIES TO ISOLATE’ IN RESPONSE TO PAST COMMENTS ABOUT BLACK WOMEN
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) plays against the Dallas Wings in the second half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
“ESPN would be a lot more ‘dangerous’ without Carolyn Peck,” one user wrote.
Another user wrote, “All of Peck’s takes on CC last year ended being wrong and I don’t expect anything different from this season.”
One user even went so far as to say, “ESPN analyst Carolyn Peck is a hater and a fool.”
Peck was the women’s basketball head coach at Purdue when current Fever head coach Stephanie White was a player there. Together, they won the NCAA title in 1999.
Clark has missed the team’s last four games with a groin injury and will miss a fifth on Saturday against the LA Sparks. She previously missed five games with a quad injury.
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From left, Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0), guard Lexie Hull, guard Sophie Cunningham and forward Aliyah Boston (7) huddle during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Seattle Storm, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
With Clark, Indiana is 5–4, averaging an 85.0 offensive rating.
Without Clark, the team is 5–4 with an average 80.2 offensive rating.
In games she has played, Clark is averaging 18.2 points, 8.9 assists and 5.9 turnovers.
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On this episode of “Week in Review,” we cover the Indiana gambling case, the Bears’ 2026 schedule release and the Bulls landing the No. 4 draft pick. We also look at Jim’s Original moving after 85 years and Chicago Fire FC’s new McDonald’s Park stadium name. Plus, Cole Kmet joins Cop on a Rooftop, a White Sox phenom goes one on one and more top stories from around Chicago.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — More than 50 Indiana law enforcement agencies are taking to the roof to help local athletes.
Police and safety officers will be stationed around various Dunkin’ Donuts, taking up donations for the Special Olympics. People who monetarily donate will receive a coupon for a free donut. Those who donate $10 or more will receive a coupon for a free medium hot coffee.
“Supporting the Special Olympics isn’t just an event for us — it’s a commitment to people who inspire us every day,” Sergeant Wes Rowlader said. “These athletes show what determination, courage, and community truly look like. Every dollar we raise helps transform that spirit into training, competition, and lifelong confidence.”
More than 20,000 Hoosier athletes train and compete for free within the Special Olympics. To date, Cop on a Rooftop has raised more than $125,000 for Special Olympics Indiana.
The Indiana State Police will be at the Dunkin’ Donuts at 9821 Lima Road in Fort Wayne from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday.
A man’s family is demanding answers after he was shot by a security guard inside a hospital emergency room waiting area on Tuesday night in Gary, Indiana.
Methodist Northlake Hospital officials said, around midnight Tuesday night, its security staff responded quickly after a patient took out a gun. The hospital said he’d threatened to shoot himself or others.
The hospital commended the security guard who shot the man for “neutralizing the threat and helping ensure the safety of our patients and employees.”
Family members identified the man who was shot as Otis Brown. They said he is a kind father to a 12-year-old boy.
“Just a great person, a happy-go-lucky, always out there trying to do the right thing,” said his fiancée, Stacey Taylor.
Taylor said she was on a business trip when she got a call that Brown had been shot multiple times.
“Scared, uncertainty; you know, what story is right? You know, what happened?” she said.
After he was shot, Brown was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center for treatment.
Taylor said she had no idea why Brown went to Methodist Northlake Hospital in the first place. His family said he was trying to leave the hospital when the shooting happened, claiming that the hospital gave him his gun back after he was cleared to leave.
“We just want to get answers, just want to know what happened, particularly when people are defaming his name,” Taylor said.
She and Brown’s family hope the hospital has surveillance video footage that can help provide answers.
Gary police have not provided any details on the shooting. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department said it is investigating the shooting at the request of Gary police, but did not provide any further information.
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