It looks like Indiana’s Caitlin Clark has friends in high places. On Friday, President Barack Obama voiced her supported to the embattled Fever star in her current series of feuds with the WNBA. Obama visited the WNBA All-Star Game players on Friday, as they practiced at the Obama Presidential Center’s indoor basketball court ahead of the main event on Saturday.
Obama spent some time speaking directly with Caitlin Clark. Here’s the advice the former President gave her:
“You’re great, you’re fantastic. Don’t let all this nonsense get you down,” Obama said to the 24-year-old Clark. “You know, I always say one of the things that was luckiest for me was that I didn’t get famous until I was like 45. You’re my daughters’ age.
“To have that much immersion in nonsense … don’t lose that joy. The game’s the game, and you’re a hooper. You’re always hooping, and you’re on a nice little run right now.”
This comes after the Fever star has spent months drawing attention for the physical play she has faced on the court by her fellow players, while she has also seemed to demand fairer treatment from officials. At the same time, the importance of her role in the league overall has been questioned by fans and analysts who think she doesn’t have a claim to being the biggest player in the league.
Clark’s physicality, or lack thereof, paired with her propensity to get injured, has also been the object of criticism by fans and pundits.
Caitlin Clark’s comments on receiving criticism from people around the world of basketball
Clark herself spoke with the press on Friday about the subject of the criticism she has received in the last few months. She was pretty adamant that she doesn’t expect to be everyone’s cup of tea:
“You always remember why you play the game. I play it because I love it and I haven’t lost that joy,” Clark told reporters. “There’s going to be some people that love you and some people that hate you, and that’s just the reality of the world when you get into a position like this. That’s also a good thing for the game. Not everybody’s going to be your biggest fan.
She also highlighted how kind it was to receive the advice directly from President Obama, stating it would be a moment she would remember for the rest of her life.
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