JJ Watt vouches for Pat McAfee after calling Caitlin Clark a 'white b****', insisting his friend has always been 'complimentary' about women's sport

J.J. Watt has vouched for Pat McAfee's character a day after the ESPN host called Caitlin Clark a 'white b***h', while acknowledging that people were still learning how to discuss women's sports 'the right way.'

Watt, a frequent guest on The Pat McAfee show, pointed out that McAfee was an Indiana Fever season ticket holder but did not condone his language referring to Clark either.

'I haven't seen the whole clip,' Watt said from The Soccer Tournament on Tuesday. 'I would assume Pat - he's always been extremely complimentary [of women's sports], I know he has courtside tickets to the Fever games.

He later continued, 'I think seeing more light shined on those sports is always a good thing. And I think the people are certainly wading through the waters trying to do it the right way.'

Watt, who is married to former NWSL and USWNT star Kealia Watt (formerly Ohai), also praised Clark's impact on the WNBA and the new eyeballs she has brought to the sport. 

'But what [Clark]'s been able to do for the sport has been incredible. The WNBA dialogue has been everywhere in this past few months which has been incredible,' he said.

'Obviously my wife being an NWSL player since... 2012, 2013, we've had many, many conversations about the growth of women's sports and about how, and where and when the different ways that they can continue to improve. 

'And she talks so much about how the league has improved from when she started 'til now, and how there's still so much left to go. So those conversations are always fascinating, I really enjoy it. But I think seeing more light shined on those sports is always a good thing.'

McAfee caused huge controversy in Monday after he referred to Clark as a 'white b***h' on national TV while offering a defense of the Fever rookie, who has been in the news of late after she was aggressively bodychecked by the Chicago Sky's Chennedy Carter.

McAfee noted how other rookies - like Angel Reese and Cameron Brink - had also boosted the profile of the WNBA but said their impact did not match up to Clark's.

'I would like the media people that continue to say "this rookie class, this rookie class, this rookie class" - no, just call it for what it is,' he began.

'There's one white b**** for the Indiana team who is a superstar and is it because she stayed at Iowa, put an entire state on her back, took a program from nothing to a multiple-year success story?

'Is there a chance that people just enjoy watching her play basketball because of how electrifying she is, what she did, what she stood for, how she went about what she went for, maybe.

'But instead we have to hear people say that 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.

'Well that's a bunch of bulls*** and we think the WNBA, and more specifically their referees, need to stop trying to screw her over at every single turn.'

Taking to X later on Monday, McAfee posted an apology: 'I shouldn’t have used “white b****” as a descriptor of Caitlin Clark. 

'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. 

'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. Everything else I said… still alllllll facts.' 

Watt will face McAfee at The Soccer Tournament, with his Burnley side playing the ESPN personality's CONCAFA SC.