Barack Obama gives WNBA All-Stars wisdom and a little presidential aura
<p>The WNBA All-Stars were the first professional players to christen the court at the Obama Presidential Center.</p><p>So it was fitting that former President <b>Barack Obama</b>, a devoted basketball fan, surprised the group Friday with a short speech before greeting players individually.</p><p>“The way the game has been going lately, people paying attention to your excellence, it’s been making me happy,” Obama said.</p><p>His appearance left an impression on everyone, including one of the faces of the league.</p><p>Now in her <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/wnba/2026/07/24/is-caitlin-clark-the-best-point-guard-at-all-star-weekend-relax-shes-definitely-one-of-them" >third season</a>, <b>Caitlin Clark</b> has helped bring an enormous new audience to the WNBA. Her stardom has also subjected her to scrutiny that often turns ugly and personal.</p><p>Obama called Clark “fantastic” and told her not to let all the “nonsense” get her down.
Reported by 1 outlet — Chicago Sun-Times. See all sources ↓
<p>The WNBA All-Stars were the first professional players to christen the court at the Obama Presidential Center.</p><p>So it was fitting that former President <b>Barack Obama</b>, a devoted basketball fan, surprised the group Friday with a short speech before greeting players individually.</p><p>“The way the game has been going lately, people paying attention to your excellence, it’s been making me happy,” Obama said.</p><p>His appearance left an impression on everyone, including one of the faces of the league.</p><p>Now in her <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/wnba/2026/07/24/is-caitlin-clark-the-best-point-guard-at-all-star-weekend-relax-shes-definitely-one-of-them" >third season</a>, <b>Caitlin Clark</b> has helped bring an enormous new audience to the WNBA. Her stardom has also subjected her to scrutiny that often turns ugly and personal.</p><p>Obama called Clark “fantastic” and told her not to let all the “nonsense” get her down. He also acknowledged how difficult it must be to navigate fame at her age.</p><p>“Sometimes I think people don’t always realize that I’m 24 years old and trying to navigate a lot of different things, trying to play basketball at the same time,” Clark said. “It was cool to hear that from him.”</p><p>Obama, who said he had already put the court to use in a game of HORSE, also reminded Clark not to lose her joy for basketball.
Read the full report at Chicago Sun-Times ↗
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- What's the story?
- <p>The WNBA All-Stars were the first professional players to christen the court at the Obama Presidential Center.</p><p>So it was fitting that former President <b>Barack Obama</b>, a devoted basketball fan, surprised the group Friday with a short speech before greeting players individually.</p><p>“The way the game has been going lately, people paying attention to your excellence, it’s been making me happy,” Obama said.</p><p>His appearance left an impression on everyone, including one of the faces of the league.</p><p>Now in her <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/wnba/2026/07/24/is-caitlin-clark-the-best-point-guard-at-all-star-weekend-relax-shes-definitely-one-of-them" >third season</a>, <b>Caitlin Clark</b> has helped bring an enormous new audience to the WNBA. Her stardom has also subjected her to scrutiny that often turns ugly and personal.</p><p>Obama called Clark “fantastic” and told her not to let all the “nonsense” get her down.
- How widely is it covered?
- 1 outlet, average source rating 6.0/10.
- When was it last updated?
- 7m ago.
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Barack Obama gives WNBA All-Stars wisdom and a little presidential aura
Sources1TypeCoverageChicago Sun-Times