Obama Surprises WNBA All-Stars, Urges Caitlin Clark to Block Out Noise
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- Barack Obama dropped in on the WNBA All-Stars at the Obama Presidential Center's indoor basketball court on Friday, shaking hands, posing for photos, and telling 24-year-old Caitlin Clark to 'hold on to your joy' and 'don't let all this nonsense get you down' amid her years of media scrutiny.
- Caitlin Clark — a three-time All-Star whose Indiana Fever sit at 17-10 and have won five of their last six — called the moment with Obama 'a moment I'll probably remember for the rest of my life,' telling reporters her hands 'get sweaty and clammy for certain things' but that she hasn't lost her love of the game.
- Obama surprised Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey by mentioning her WNBA-record-tying 53-point game from June 25, and briefly picked up a ball to guard the Liberty's 6-foot-6 center Jonquel Jones, who said she was 'pretty surprised' by his 'good defensive stance.'
- The All-Star Game moves to Chicago's United Center (capacity 20,917) for Saturday's 8:30 p.m. ET tip on ABC — more than double the 10,387 seats at Wintrust Arena where the city hosted the game in 2022.
- Obama told players he and Michelle Obama had a prior commitment and couldn't attend Saturday's game, but wanted to interact with the league as it celebrates its 30th season at the Presidential Center, which opened in June.
- Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve's son Oliver — who at 19 months old famously high-fived Obama during the Lynx's 2016 White House visit after their 2011, 2013, and 2015 titles — is now 11 and still tells friends he's famous because 'President Obama high-five baby' comes up on YouTube.
Why it matters: The surprise visit gave the WNBA a marquee crossover moment during its 30th season as the league's signature event scales up — Chicago's United Center holds more than double the seats of the 2022 venue (20,917 vs. 10,387). Obama's personal touches, from recalling Mabrey's 53-point game to reuniting with Oliver Reeve, reinforce the league's deepening ties to cultural and political stature at a time when its stars face relentless public scrutiny.
