Clark’s basketball accomplishments speak for themselves. She has become one of the biggest stars in sports, shattered television ratings, filled arenas across the country and helped usher the WNBA into an entirely new era of popularity.
But what Obama acknowledged had nothing to do with her shooting range or highlight reels. It was about how she handles the pressure of her position in the WNBA. As someone who spent eight years under the ultimate microscope, Obama has a unique perspective on what Clark is going through.
Few athletes have entered a professional league under the kind of microscope Clark has experienced. Every game is dissected. Every hard foul is debated for weeks on social media and in sports coverage. Every postgame interview becomes headline material. Whether it’s discussions about officiating, rivalries, television ratings or the league’s growth, Clark somehow winds up at the center of it.
Through all of that, she’s remained remarkably consistent as she rarely fires back at critics. She almost never creates controversy with her comments. Time after time, she redirects the discussion back to basketball or gives credit to teammates instead of making herself the story.
That’s what stood out to Obama.
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“You’re great, you’re fantastic,” Obama beamed upon meeting Indiana’s sharpshooter. “Don’t let all this nonsense get you down.”
Obama surprised WNBA All-Stars during practice Friday at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, congratulating players on helping elevate the league before spending time speaking with several stars, including Clark. While many fans expected the conversation to revolve around basketball, Clark revealed afterward that Obama focused on something else entirely.
“He just complimented me for the way that I handle everything, obviously with everything that’s been going on,” Clark told reporters with a smile. “He’s somebody that’s been in front of the media quite a bit. He reminded me, ‘When I got famous in my 40s, I didn’t have to do it in my 20s.’“
For Clark, the interaction wasn’t just another celebrity encounter.
“It’s a moment that I’ll probably remember for the rest of my life,” she said.
