Barack Obama offered Caitlin Clark words of encouragement during a surprise visit to the WNBA All-Star practice at his Presidential Center in Chicago, telling the Indiana Fever star not to let the ongoing controversy surrounding her career “get her down.”
Barack Obama had a message of support for Caitlin Clark on Friday, telling the WNBA star not to let the “nonsense” surrounding her career weigh her down, during a surprise appearance ahead of the league’s All-Star game in Chicago. The former president made the visit to the newly opened Obama Presidential Center, where the WNBA held its All-Star practice, marking the first time a professional sports league has used the centre’s basketball court. After spotting Clark during his visit, Obama made his way over to speak with her directly.
What Obama said to Clark
Approaching the Indiana Fever guard, Obama said: “Oh, hey! Caitlin! How are you? Really nice to meet you. You’re great. You’re fantastic. Don’t let all this nonsense get you down.” Clark responded: “It’s crazy, yeah. I appreciate it.”
Obama went on to reflect on his own experience of fame, telling Clark: “You know, I always say one of the things that was luckiest for me was I didn’t get famous until I was like 45. So I was an old a** man. I mean, you’re my daughters’ age. They’ve not had much, you know, immersion in nonsense. So don’t lose that joy. The game’s like the game and you’re a hooper.” Clark replied: “I try, sometimes,” to which Obama responded: “No, you’re always hooping! And you’re on a nice little run right now.”
Clark later admitted she had been “sweaty and clammy” during the exchange, saying nerves had got the better of her while meeting the former president. She then asked if he would take a photo with her, which he agreed to before posing for cameras.
Reflecting on the encounter afterwards, Clark said: “He complimented me for how I handle everything obviously with everything going on… he reminded me ‘when I got famous in my 40s I didn’t have to do it in my 20s’… it’s definitely a moment I’ll probably remember for the rest of my life.”
Obama’s wider visit
During his time at the Presidential Center, Obama addressed the full group of WNBA All-Stars, praising the league’s rapid growth and telling players they were inspiring the next generation both through their performances on court and their work off it. He was presented with a No. 44 WNBA All-Star jersey, which players intended to sign for him. Obama also spent time meeting other prominent players, including A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, briefly stepping onto the court for a light-hearted exchange with Jones. He went on to meet with league investors, as well as a group of high school girls taking part in community programmes at the centre. Obama confirmed he would not be attending the WNBA All-Star Game itself, citing a prior commitment with his wife, Michelle.
Clark’s comments on the pressures of her career
Obama’s supportive message came shortly after Clark spoke candidly about feeling “emotionally exhausted” by the constant controversy surrounding her, in an interview addressing both off-court criticism and on-court hostility. She told SportsCenter that the ongoing scrutiny leaves her tense before she even steps onto the court. “When I walk out of the locker room, I shouldn’t be not fearful of what the conversation is gonna be… it’s emotionally exhausting. It’s draining,” Clark said. “It makes your shoulders tense. Because, you know, people don’t wanna talk about the basketball. They just wanna stir it up and make something else.”
Asked about a recent physical altercation with Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, who struck Clark in the throat during a heated exchange on court, Clark offered a frank assessment. “It seems like there’s always a moment like that in every season that I’ve played so far,” she said. “And I think for myself, like I just try to navigate it the best I can. It gets exhausting. It gets frustrating.”
Clark also addressed what she described as unfair portrayals of her character by some members of the media. “I think there’s just like a false characterization of who I am sometimes,” she said. “And I get it like as a reporter or as a blogger, like you can write an opinion piece and that’s your job and whatever. But at the same time, like you don’t know me. Like we’ve never had a conversation.” While acknowledging that reporters have a job to do, she urged critics to stop making assumptions about her character. “I get people have a job to do. But at the same time, like don’t make accusations about my character and who I am when you don’t know me,” she said. “I understand this is your job and this is your profession, and this is what you get to do. And basketball is my profession, what I get to do.”
Despite the ongoing scrutiny, Clark made clear that her love for the sport remains undiminished. “The reason I play it is when I step in between the lines, I love it. And that’s what’s so fun about it for me is like, I get to compete,” she said. “This was always my dream. And nobody should ever try to take that away from me.”
