Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy could barely watch as Caitlin Clark went down with an injury, putting his massive wager on the Indiana Fever in jeopardy.

Dave Portnoy and Caitlin Clark

Dave Portnoy expressed fear after Caitlin Clark went down with an injury (Image: X)

Dave Portnoy can breathe a sigh of relief after Caitlin Clark’s latest health scare proved to be non-serious. On Monday, the Barstool Sports founder watched in fear as the Fever rookie crumpled to the court with an ankle injury – momentarily putting his $100,000 bet on Indiana to win the WNBA title in serious jeopardy.

With 3:15 remaining in the first quarter of the Fever’s 84-79 win over the Atlanta Dream, Clark attempted to navigate around a screen when she appeared to turn her ankle. Upon planting awkwardly on her left foot, the 22-year-old immediately dropped to the hardwood and writhed in pain.

Several Fever players promptly surrounded Clark as she continued to grab at her left ankle and remain down for several moments. Team training staff additionally rushed to her aid and helped escort her to the bench, where she remained seated for the remainder of the first quarter.

Taking to social media moments after Clark went down, Portnoy shared a screen grab of her screaming in pain alongside the caption: “I cant breathe.” Once the star guard returned to action in the second quarter, however, he shared a video of his ecstatic reaction.

“Don’t worry, Caitlin’s back on the court,” Portnoy announced just as Clark drilled a 3-pointer on the TV screen behind him. She finished the night shooting 4-of-9 from behind the arc en route to tying Dream guard Rhyne Howard for the WNBA rookie record for most 3’s in a season with 85.

Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark was able to return to Monday’s game following her injury scare (Image: Getty)

“Big win for the Fever,” Portnoy added following the final whistle. “Great game from Kelsey Mitchell. Caitlin played solid. Closing in on playoff birth.”

Speaking to reporters after the game, Clark revealed that she had no interest in going back to the locker room after her injury scare, instead opting for it to be re-taped. “I saw the replay, and I look really soft. It wasn’t that bad of a turn, but it hurt,” she said. “Sometimes you just need to give yourself a second. If you ever sprained your ankle, it just kind of stings for a little bit. I was good.

“You’re not a real basketball player if you haven’t sprained your ankles a bunch. That’s when you know.”

Clark ended with 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists on 6-of-14 shooting from the field to help the Fever secure their third win in four tries since WNBA play resumed post-Olympic break. Indiana currently sits at 14-16, good for third place in the Eastern Conference Division.

Earlier this month, Portnoy placed a $100,000 wager that would net him $10 million should the Fever win the WNBA championship this season. Sharing a photo of the DraftKings bet slip on X, he wrote: “Caitlin Clark is a top 3 player in the league. Maybe the best. She got rest for the 1st time in a year. Aliyah Boston and her chemistry grows every game. They started 1-8. 10-7 since then and improving. I had to do it.”