CHICAGO -- Barack Obama surprised the WNBA All-Stars on Friday, visiting them at the Obama Presidential Center's indoor basketball court. He shook hands, posed for photos and even gave a little heartfelt advice to Caitlin Clark.
The Indiana Fever guard, an All-Star for the third time, has been at the center of media and social media debates and commentaries since she entered the WNBA in 2024 as the No. 1 pick. The former president told Clark to hold on to her joy.
"You're great, you're fantastic. Don't let all this nonsense get you down," Obama said to the 24-year-old Clark in a video posted on social media by X user @zulueditsae. "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."
Clark, whose 17-10 Fever have won five of their past six games entering the All-Star break, asked Obama for a photo and later said how much his words meant to her.
"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.
"I'm trying to navigate a lot of different things while trying to play basketball at the same time. So it was cool to hear that from him. And I think, honestly, it's probably a good reminder for all of us of treating people with respect, treating people with grace, and definitely a moment I'll probably remember for the rest of my life. My hands don't get usually pretty sweaty and clammy for certain things, but definitely for that."
Obama's visit resonated with the players. Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey was surprised when Obama mentioned her WNBA-record-tying 53-point game June 25.
"I was thinking, 'Did he see it when it was happening? Was he rooting for me?'" a smiling Mabrey said. "It's just really cool that somebody as big to this world as him, who does everything he does, would know something like that and would come and talk to us."
The players said the interaction with the former president was one of the highlights of All-Star Weekend, which is in the Windy City for the second time.
Chicago previously hosted the game in 2022, but the event has grown. Back then, the game was at Wintrust Arena, which holds 10,387. The year, it will be at the larger United Center (8:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ABC), which holds 20,917.
Friday morning's media session was at the Obama Presidential Center, which opened in June. As the league celebrates its 30th season this year, the players showed their appreciation for Obama, long known for his love of hoops.
The New York Liberty's Breanna Stewart visited the Obama White House every year she was at UConn, as the Huskies won four consecutive NCAA titles from 2013 to 2016.
"So it was like this annual thing. We go, we see him, see how he's doing and what's changed over the year," Stewart said. "I've crossed paths with him a few more times after that ... I check in on how the family is. He's a great person to have in my corner. For him to now take the time to ask about my family, it just shows how caring and meaningful he is.
"President Obama is a huge basketball fan, advocate, and it's always good to see him, whether it's throughout his term or just the impact and the change that he makes when he's out of the office."
Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve also visited Obama with her team after the Lynx won WNBA titles in 2011, 2013 and 2015. During the third visit -- in June 2016 -- Reeve's son, Oliver, then 19 months old, started to cry when the president was speaking.
Obama stopped his speech to joke, "Oliver is upset that mom is up here and he's not," inviting Reeve to bring the toddler onto the stage, where he exchanged a high-five with Obama.
Friday, Obama spoke again with Reeve and her son, now age 11.
"He thinks he's famous because you can go on YouTube, and if you search for President Obama high-five baby and he comes up," Reeve said. "That's the first thing he tells friends. [Obama] just has a way of making you feel special, so we appreciate his connection to the WNBA."
The Atlanta Dream's Angel Reese joked that she "sort of" encountered Obama in Chicago first on Thursday.
"It's so funny because when my plane was landing yesterday, he was right next to my plane," Reese said. "They were like, 'VIP, nobody can get off the plane!' I'm like, 'Well we're VIP, too.' Then they said, 'Obama,' and I was like, 'Oh, OK, OK.'"
Obama told the players that he would not be able to attend Saturday's All-Star Game because of a prior commitment that he and his wife, Michelle Obama, have. But he said he wanted at least to interact with the All-Stars.
"I know many of you have been involved in ventures off the court, looking out for other young people and inspiring them," Obama said. "I just want to say thanks."
He added that he doesn't play full-court basketball these days "to protect my Achilles" but that he did inaugurate the Obama Presidential Center court with a game of HORSE.
"Which I lost," he said.
Obama did get in just a little hooping, briefly guarding the Liberty's 6-foot-6 center Jonquel Jones as she dribbled the ball.
"He's a cool guy, and so I'm just like, 'I have a basketball. I'm here at their center, and I'm just going to go joke around and try to play basketball with him,'" Jones said. "He's got a good defensive stance. I was pretty surprised. But, yeah, just a lighthearted moment. I think an amazing moment for me, too, because I look up to him so much."
ESPN's Katie Barnes, Kareem Copeland and Alexa Philippou contributed to this report.
