Chilling Details Emerge Of Caitlin Clark's Stalker

Caitlin Clark is going through a very harrowing situation. A Texas man has been charged with felony stalking over sexually violent threats against the Indiana Fever star — and the details of his DMs are chilling.

WISH reported that Michael Lewis was arrested on January 12, 2025 at a hotel in downtown Indianapolis. He had allegedly traveled from his home in Denton, Texas to Indiana after first sending messages to the WNBA star in mid-December 2024. The messages continued through January 2025 until the police The content of the messages, sent from his X account, was both sexually explicit and frighteningly specific, with Lewis accused of writing, "Been driving around your house 3x a day, but don't call the law just yet." In another message, Lewis shared his intention to get close to Clark at her games, whether in Indianapolis or otherwise, saying, "I'm getting tickets. I'm sitting behind the bench."

Prior to his arrest, officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department made contact with Lewis on January 8, 2025. Lewis, according to court documents, said he had a quote "imaginary relationship" with Clark, and was simply taking a vacation in Indianapolis. "It's an imagination, fantasy-type thing," he told police. "[It's a] joke, [and it's] nothing to do with threatening."

According to court documents, police advised Michael Lewis to stop sending messages to Caitlin Clark that could be perceived as threatening, but the messages reportedly continued. Clark reportedly told police she did not know Lewis and never responded to his DMs.

Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said the FBI was involved in the case, and had connected Lewis' messages to a hotel in downtown Indianapolis and the Indianapolis public library. In a statement, Mears said Clark's fame doesn't shield her from such threats. "No matter how prominent a figure you are, this case shows that online harassment can quickly escalate to actual threats of physical violence," Mears said. "It takes a lot of courage for women to come forward in these cases, which is why many don't." Clark also spoke to police about the case, saying she feared for her safety and was taking measures to disguise herself in public. Clark had even reportedly updated her public appearances and her schedule off the court.  

The Indianapolis Star reports that prosecutors seek to ban Lewis from both arenas the Indiana Fever call home — the Hinkle Fieldhouse and the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. If found guilty of the charges, Lewis could face up to six years in prison.

Caitlin Clark is one of the WNBA's biggest stars — the 2024 Rookie of the Year, with sponsorships from powerhouses like Nike and Gatorade. But she's not the only high-profile women's basketball player that's dealt with this kind of harassment.

In December 2024, an Oregon man pleaded guilty to stalking Paige Bueckers, an All-American point guard for the University of Connecticut Huskies who is widely considered to be the No. 1 pick for the 2025 WNBA draft. SLAM magazine once called her "the most electrifying high school basketball player in the world" in a 2020 cover story, and her career arc is similar to Clark's — right down to the unwanted attention from men twice their age.

The New York Times reported that, among other disturbing comments and social media posts, the reported stalker Robert Parmalee emailed UConn staff about wanting to marry Bueckers, and, quote, "have children with every white woman alive." Parmalee — who also claimed to be a member of the royal family — was slapped with a one-year suspended sentence and three years of probation, during which he's barred from entering the state of Connecticut.