Michelle Obama Speaks Out on Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese Debate originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have evolved into two of the most talked-about figures in the women’s basketball world.
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Their perceived 1v1 rivalry dates back to their college days with the Iowa Hawkeyes and LSU Tigers, respectively. The rivalry garnered national attention after Reese taunted Clark during LSU’s win over Iowa in the 2023 NCAA Tournament national championship game.
The rivalry continued to build at the next level as both Clark and Reese excelled in their rookie WNBA seasons. Every Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky matchup seemed to an extra layer to this heated debate amongst WNBA fans.
While this Clark vs. Reese rivalry brings plenty of positive attention to the women’s basketball game, it’s also come with some significant negatives in the form of online criticism and hatred directed toward both sides.
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During a recent appearance on “All the Smoke with Matt Barnes & Stephen Jackson,” former United States First Lady Michelle Obama weighed in on the Clark vs. Reese conversation.
“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,” Obama said. “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.”
“There’s the hate. But now the hate is in your room, on your phone, with you all the time,” she continued. “And you can’t, for whatever reason, tell these kids to turn it off, because they’re making their living that way.”
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“I mean, now they are expected to stay engaged,” she added. “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.”
Clark, the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, has been sidelined since suffering a groin injury against the Connecticut Sun one month ago. Reese has missed each of the last two weeks with a back injury.
Clark’s Fever squad will face off against the Washington Mystics on Friday night.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
