Michelle Obama talking to peopleMichelle Obama (Jasper Colt-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Many eyes have been on Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, and the WNBA since their fiery showdown during the 2023 NCAA national championship game, and that includes former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Obama discussed the WNBA rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, criticising social media’s negative impact on athletes.

Obama, speaking candidly on the All The Smoke podcast, criticised the “horrible opinions” swirling around the two young women and pointed out how social media makes them even worse.

The Clark–Reese rivalry has roots in college basketball, where the two faced off in the 2023 NCAA women’s championship. Their rivalry began after Reese delivered her now-famous ring-finger gesture toward Clark after sealing the Tigers’ title over Iowa.

Fast forward to their second season in the WNBA, and the two almost came to blows after Caitlin Clark delivered a dirty foul to Angel Reese.

Michelle Obama gave her honest opinion on the Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese rivalry.

 

“I think the tough thing is the social media element to it, but that’s true across the board,” Obama said.

“I mean, we’ve talked about this on our show. It just, you know, it just takes a normal occurrence. You know these young kids today, what they have to go through, what they have to be able to withstand because social media is such a huge part of their world.”

“I mean, you know, there’s the hate, but now the hate is in your room on your phone with you all the time. And you can’t, for whatever reason, tell these kids to turn it off because they’re making their living that way. I mean, that they now are expected to stay engaged. So, I think that makes it feel even worse. But, as you point out, that’s happening in sports across gender. It’s just harder now to withstand other people’s horrible, horrible opinions.”

Social Media Was Rather Unkind To Michelle Obama’s WNBA Opinion

Michelle Obama on podcast
Michelle Obama (Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Former first lady Michelle Obama weighed in on the WNBA rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, and social media was not happy about it.

Obama spoke during a group discussion about the impact of the Clark-Reese drama on the WNBA’s popularity. Despite Obama not saying anything negatively about either player, social media still blasted her just because of who her husband is.

“No one cares what she thinks,” one fan replied.

“Why does anyone care about what she thinks,” a second fan stated.

“No one cares what she thinks, but you all had the time to comment just that. You know you care! And, the man jokes are old and played. Come harder next time,” a third person said of Michelle Obama.

“This woman will not stop talking!” a fourth person added of her opinion.

“I’m really not interested in anything he has to say,” a fifth person wrote.

“Should we let a man weigh in on women’s sports? 🤷🏻‍♀️,” one final person commented about Michelle Obama.

The reactions surrounding her are going to be worse since Barack Obama was the President previously, and not a ton of people like him as a result.

Brittney Griner Finally Breaks Her Silence Over Alleged Caitlin Clark Comments That The WNBA Refused To Investigate

Brittney Griner speaking to reporterBrittney Griner (Photo via Twitter)
WNBA star Brittney Griner was at the center of a new debate over what she allegedly said in a game against basketball phenom Caitlin Clark.

The Atlanta Dream center found herself at the center of social media controversy last month when some fans thought she disparaged Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark upon fouling out.

The game’s broadcast focused on an upset Griner saying something as she returned to the Dream bench after fouling out of the game. While there’s no audio of this moment, some who tried to read Griner’s lips thought she called Clark a “trash f–king white girl.”

However, there’s no proof of Griner saying those actual words since others thought she stated something else.

It took weeks for someone to finally get a quote from her, and she provided much of nothing.

Brittney Griner was asked about this moment before her team’s June 15 game against the Washington Mystics and said, “I remember fouling out, being mad. I remember fouling out on, I believe it was [Natasha] Howard driving to the basket. They said I put my hand in.”

WNBA Chooses Not To Investigate Brittney Griner

Griner Drops F-Bomb, Apologizes Amid Clark Slur RowBrittney Griner (Photo By Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)
Moments before the conclusion of the Indiana Fever’s 81-76 victory over the Dream at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta weeks ago, cameras seemingly caught Atlanta Dream star center Brittney Griner labeling Caitlin Clark “trash” before calling her a “f***ing white girl” in frustration over a foul on Natasha Howard.

The clip of Griner speaking on the bench, lacking context, spread on social media and went viral.

Griner, who won a gold medal for Team USA at the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024, essentially got aw@y with whatever came out of her mouth because the league basically ignored the controversy.

This incident is not the only time Griner vocalized her frustrations this season. Following another game, she stormed off mid-interview, yelling at the referees to “be f—ing better.