Indiana Fever point guard Caitlin Clark has had an undeniable effect on the WNBA since joining the league in the 2024 draft, along with Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese. The two have helped the league reach record numbers for in-game attendance and television viewership, which is leading to rapid franchise expansion, with the league set to have 18 teams by 2030, up from 12 in 2024.
However, the increase in popularity has led to the young stars receiving hate speech, especially on social media. Now, former First Lady Michelle Obama is weighing in on what they’re dealing with.
“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, per Awful Announcing.
“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.”
Fans reacted to the news on social media.
“Let’s not hear from or about this loathsome person anymore,” one person wrote on Twitter.
“Here comes the dumbest most biased opinion,” someone else added.
Hopefully, the league starts to crack down on the hate speech surrounding its young athletes.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.