Michelle Obama gives her take on the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry ‘hate'
During an appearance on the podcast 'All the Smoke with Matt Barnes & Stephen Jackson,' Obama spoke during a group discussion about the impact of the Clark-Reese drama on the WNBA's popularity, the impact on the players' well-beings and 'hate' involved.
'I think the tough thing is the social media element to it. But that's true across the board. I mean, we've talked about this on our show; it just takes a normal occurrence. 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 the world,' Obama said.
'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, now they are expected to stay engaged. So, I think that makes it feel even worse. But I think, as you point out, that's happening in sports across gender. It's just harder not to withstand other people's horrible, horrible opinions.'
The rivalry between Clark and Reese was renewed in their first game of the 2025 season on May 17.
Clark's Indiana Fever defeated Reese's Chicago Sky 93-58, and Clark was called for a flagrant foul after a defensive play against Reese.
3 Former first lady Michelle Obama appeared on the podcast 'All the Smoke with Matt Barnes & Stephen Jackson,' to discuss the rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese in the WNBA.
IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson"/YouTube
3 The rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese rekindled on May 17, 2025, when Clark was called for a flagrant foul against Reeese.
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
3 The two players haven't played each other since as the Indiana Fever came out on top against the Chicago Sky 93-58.
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
The WNBA announced after the game that it would be launching an investigation into alleged 'racist' comments directed at Reese, but could not substantiate the allegations.
The two have not played each other since that May 17 game, as both have dealt with injuries throughout the season.
Meanwhile, Obama recently made headlines with another sports-related opinion, when she compared ESPN to reality TV during an episode of her brother's podcast 'IMO' in July.
'It's all a sociological study. They think that sports is better reality TV, I'm like, 'It's the same thing.' If I listen to ESPN for an hour, it's like watching the 'Real Housewives of Atlanta,' you know?' Obama said.
'It's the same drama, and they're yelling at each other, and they don't get along, you know? I mean, Stephen A. Smith, he's just like every other. . . .'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
30 minutes ago
- USA Today
Indiana Fever take on Connecticut Sun: TV channel, time, how to watch Sunday's game
Expect fireworks when the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun face off for the fourth time this season on Sunday. The Sun took the first regular-season matchup 85-83 on May 30. The Fever bounced back and defeated the Sun 88-71 on June 17, but tempers flared and multiple scuffles broke out. Indiana's Caitlin Clark and Connecticut's Jacy Sheldon had a heated exchange after Sheldon made incidental contact with Clark's face and Clark pushed Sheldon. The Sun's Marina Mabrey jumped in and shoved Clark down on the floor. A flagrant foul was called on Sheldon, while Clark, Mabrey and Connecticut center Tina Charles were each charged with a technical foul. Later in the game, Fever guard Sophie Cunningham committed a hard foul on Sheldon. Sheldon and teammate Lindsay Allen immediately confronted Cunningham and more words were exchanged before being separated by officials. Cunningham, Sheldon and Allen were all ejected from the game. Sheldon has since been traded to the Washington Mystics. MORE: Caitlin Clark shoved onto court in scuffle-laden game vs Sun The Fever and Sun last faced off on July 15, with Indiana coming away with a 85-77 win. But the Fever's celebration was short-lived after Clark injured her right groin in the final minute of the matchup. Clark has been sidelined since and has missed 12 consecutive games. Sunday will likely mark her 13th straight absence. Here's what you need to know about Sunday's matchup between the Fever and Sun: What time is Indiana Fever vs. Connecticut Sun? The Indiana Fever travel to Uncasville, Conn. Sunday to face the Connecticut Sun at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) on Sunday, Aug. 17 at Mohegan Sun Arena. The game will be broadcast on NBA TV. How to watch Indiana Fever vs. Washington Mystics: TV, stream The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
The secret to Sparks star Cameron Brink's success after her ACL injury? Vision boards
Each morning before Cameron Brink pulls on her Sparks jersey, she scans a taped-up collage in her closet. Olympic rings, a WNBA All-Star crest, snapshots with her fiancé and a scatter of Etsy trinkets crowd the board. The canvas is a handmade constellation of who Brink is and who she longs to be. Between magazine clippings and scribbled affirmations, Brink sees both the grand arc and the small vows that tether her: to show up as a teammate, a daughter and a partner. 'You have a choice every day to have a good outlook or a bad outlook,' said Brink, the Sparks' starting forward. 'I try to choose every day to be positive.' That choice seemed to matter most when the future felt furthest away. The practice emerged in the thick of a 13-month recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Brink — the Stanford star and Sparks No. 2 draft pick — was forced to measure life in the tiniest ticks of progress after injuring her left knee a month into the 2024 season. Sparks veteran Dearica Hamby recognized how rehab was grinding down the rookie. One afternoon, she invited Brink to her home, where the dining table was set with scissors, glue sticks, stacks of magazines and knickknacks. 'I've always been taught growing up that your mind is your biggest power,' Brink said. 'So I've always been open to stuff like that. I heavily believe in manifesting what you want and powering a positive mindset.' Hamby had been building vision boards for years and believed Brink could use the same practice — both as a pastime and as a mechanism to combat the doubts that surfaced during her lengthy and often lonely rehab. 'If she can visualize it, she can train her mind the opposite of her negative thoughts and feelings,' Hamby said. 'When you see it, you can believe it. Your brain is constantly feeding itself. And if you have something in the back — those doubts — you need something to counter that.' Read more: Cameron Brink returns but Aces end Sparks' winning streak The board dearest to Brink wasn't crowded with stats or accolades. She crafted what she calls her 'wonderful life,' layering in snapshots of her fiancé, Ben Felter, and framed by symbols of family and team. 'You're a product of your mind,' Brink said. 'Everything in my life, I feel like I've fought and been intentional about.' Fighting was what the year demanded. However inspiring the boards looked taped inside her closet, the reality was gradual and often merciless. From the night she was carried off the court last June to the ovation that greeted her return in July, Brink's progress unfolded in inches — from the day she could stand, to the day she could walk to the day she touched the hardwood again. 'It's been such a journey,' Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. 'Cam's mentality was just trying not to freak out. She was really focused on not being anxious about it.' Brink came to practice with her game on a leash, her activity hemmed in by doctors' timelines. While teammates scrimmaged, she studied sets from the sidelines. Roberts praised her patient attitude as 'great,' a skill Brink sharpened by the ritual of opening her closet and trusting the journey. Kim Hollingdale, the Sparks' psychotherapist, worked closely with Brink during her recovery. While bound by confidentiality, she spoke to how manifestation tools can anchor an athlete through the mental strain of long recovery. Read more: For three Sparks rookies, the WNBA journey is one of uncertainty and promise 'Being able to stay in touch with where we're ultimately trying to get to can help on those days when it's feeling crappy,' Hollingdale said. 'Visualization helps us be like, 'OK, look, we're still heading to that vision. This is part of the journey.' It gives purpose, direction and a little hope when you're in the mud of recovery.' That sense of purpose, she added, is about giving the brain something familiar to return to when progress stalls — a way for the mind to rehearse what the legs can't. For Brink, that meant keeping her game alive in pictures she ran through her head. Putbacks in the paint became reruns in her mind, and Hollingdale said the brain scarcely knows the difference: If it sees it vividly enough, the muscles prime themselves as if the movement truly happened. What mattered wasn't just mechanics. Tuning out noise became essential as Brink was cleared to return as a WNBA sophomore by calendar yet a rookie by experience. What could have been crushing pressure was dimmed by the vision boards — the 'mental rehearsal,' as Hollingdale labeled it. 'I didn't want to focus on stat lines or accolades coming back from injury,' Brink said. 'I learned the importance of enjoying being out there, controlling what I can control, always having a good attitude — that's what I reframed my mindset to be about.' During Brink's return against the Las Vegas Aces on July 29, she snared an offensive rebound and splashed a three-pointer within the first minute. And since, she has posted 5.9 points and four rebounds an outing, headlined by a 14-point performance through 11 minutes against Seattle. Hollingdale tabbed Brink's return a rarity. She often prepares athletes to weather the gauntlet of 'firsts' — the first shot that clangs, the first whistle, the first crowd cheer — without expecting much beyond survival. But upon Brink's return, those firsts weren't looming unknowns. They were rehearsed memories. 'That is a testament to her being able to manage herself, her emotions and her anxiety and all the stress and pressure,' Hollingdale said. 'To come out and make a meaningful difference to your team straight away speaks to the ability to stay locked in and cut out the noise.' By refusing to sprint through recovery, Hamby said Brink insulated herself from the pressure that shadows young stars. The vision boards, Hamby added, became a tangible expression of Brink's decision to trust herself. Read more: WNBA motherhood: The balancing act between career and kids 'She's done it differently,' Hamby said. 'For her, it's more of a mental thing than a physical thing. She took her time, not listening to people tell her she should have been back sooner.' When Brink shuts the closet door and heads to Arena for game day, she's already spent the morning tracing the steps of the night. On the next blank corner of her canvas? 'Being an All-Star and going to the Olympics,' she said. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
The secret to Sparks star Cameron Brink's success after her ACL injury? Vision boards
Each morning before Cameron Brink pulls on her Sparks jersey, she scans a taped-up collage in her closet. Olympic rings, a WNBA All-Star crest, snapshots with her fiancé and a scatter of Etsy trinkets crowd the board. The canvas is a handmade constellation of who Brink is and who she longs to be. Between magazine clippings and scribbled affirmations, Brink sees both the grand arc and the small vows that tether her: to show up as a teammate, a daughter and a partner. 'You have a choice every day to have a good outlook or a bad outlook,' said Brink, the Sparks' starting forward. 'I try to choose every day to be positive.' That choice seemed to matter most when the future felt furthest away. The practice emerged in the thick of a 13-month recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Brink — the Stanford star and Sparks No. 2 draft pick — was forced to measure life in the tiniest ticks of progress after injuring her left knee a month into the 2024 season. Sparks veteran Dearica Hamby recognized how rehab was grinding down the rookie. One afternoon, she invited Brink to her home, where the dining table was set with scissors, glue sticks, stacks of magazines and knickknacks. 'I've always been taught growing up that your mind is your biggest power,' Brink said. 'So I've always been open to stuff like that. I heavily believe in manifesting what you want and powering a positive mindset.' Hamby had been building vision boards for years and believed Brink could use the same practice — both as a pastime and as a mechanism to combat the doubts that surfaced during her lengthy and often lonely rehab. 'If she can visualize it, she can train her mind the opposite of her negative thoughts and feelings,' Hamby said. 'When you see it, you can believe it. Your brain is constantly feeding itself. And if you have something in the back — those doubts — you need something to counter that.' The board dearest to Brink wasn't crowded with stats or accolades. She crafted what she calls her 'wonderful life,' layering in snapshots of her fiancé, Ben Felter, and framed by symbols of family and team. 'You're a product of your mind,' Brink said. 'Everything in my life, I feel like I've fought and been intentional about.' Fighting was what the year demanded. However inspiring the boards looked taped inside her closet, the reality was gradual and often merciless. From the night she was carried off the court last June to the ovation that greeted her return in July, Brink's progress unfolded in inches — from the day she could stand, to the day she could walk to the day she touched the hardwood again. 'It's been such a journey,' Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. 'Cam's mentality was just trying not to freak out. She was really focused on not being anxious about it.' Brink came to practice with her game on a leash, her activity hemmed in by doctors' timelines. While teammates scrimmaged, she studied sets from the sidelines. Roberts praised her patient attitude as 'great,' a skill Brink sharpened by the ritual of opening her closet and trusting the journey. Kim Hollingdale, the Sparks' psychotherapist, worked closely with Brink during her recovery. While bound by confidentiality, she spoke to how manifestation tools can anchor an athlete through the mental strain of long recovery. 'Being able to stay in touch with where we're ultimately trying to get to can help on those days when it's feeling crappy,' Hollingdale said. 'Visualization helps us be like, 'OK, look, we're still heading to that vision. This is part of the journey.' It gives purpose, direction and a little hope when you're in the mud of recovery.' That sense of purpose, she added, is about giving the brain something familiar to return to when progress stalls — a way for the mind to rehearse what the legs can't. For Brink, that meant keeping her game alive in pictures she ran through her head. Putbacks in the paint became reruns in her mind, and Hollingdale said the brain scarcely knows the difference: If it sees it vividly enough, the muscles prime themselves as if the movement truly happened. What mattered wasn't just mechanics. Tuning out noise became essential as Brink was cleared to return as a WNBA sophomore by calendar yet a rookie by experience. What could have been crushing pressure was dimmed by the vision boards — the 'mental rehearsal,' as Hollingdale labeled it. 'I didn't want to focus on stat lines or accolades coming back from injury,' Brink said. 'I learned the importance of enjoying being out there, controlling what I can control, always having a good attitude — that's what I reframed my mindset to be about.' During Brink's return against the Las Vegas Aces on July 29, she snared an offensive rebound and splashed a three-pointer within the first minute. And since, she has posted 5.9 points and four rebounds an outing, headlined by a 14-point performance through 11 minutes against Seattle. Hollingdale tabbed Brink's return a rarity. She often prepares athletes to weather the gauntlet of 'firsts' — the first shot that clangs, the first whistle, the first crowd cheer — without expecting much beyond survival. But upon Brink's return, those firsts weren't looming unknowns. They were rehearsed memories. 'That is a testament to her being able to manage herself, her emotions and her anxiety and all the stress and pressure,' Hollingdale said. 'To come out and make a meaningful difference to your team straight away speaks to the ability to stay locked in and cut out the noise.' By refusing to sprint through recovery, Hamby said Brink insulated herself from the pressure that shadows young stars. The vision boards, Hamby added, became a tangible expression of Brink's decision to trust herself. 'She's done it differently,' Hamby said. 'For her, it's more of a mental thing than a physical thing. She took her time, not listening to people tell her she should have been back sooner.' When Brink shuts the closet door and heads to Arena for game day, she's already spent the morning tracing the steps of the night. On the next blank corner of her canvas? 'Being an All-Star and going to the Olympics,' she said.
