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The WNBA is growing like never before. A new generation of young superstar, led by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, have brought massive ratings to the WNBA. The league plans to expand to 18 teams by the end of the decade as a result. But the perceived rivalry between the two superstars has created some toxicity online.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama weighed in on the rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese during a recent interview.
“I think the tough thing is the social media element to it, but that's true across the board,” Obama said Thursday via All The Smoke. “I mean, we've talked about this on our show. It just, you know, it just takes a normal occurrence. You know 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 their world.”
Obama seemed to suggest that social media is making the rivalry an even bigger stage. It makes the rivalry seem omnipresent, and makes it almost impossible to escape the opinions of either fanbase.
She added that neither player can entirely abandon social media because it financially benefits them.
“I mean, you know, there's the hate, but now the hate is in your room on your phone with you all the time,” Obama added. “And you can't, for whatever reason, tell these kids to turn it off because they're making their living that way. I mean, that they now are expected to stay engaged. So, I think that makes it feel even worse. But, as you point out, that's happening in sports across gender. It’s just harder now to withstand other people's horrible, horrible opinions.”
While the Clark-Reese rivalry has generated a ton of interest in the WNBA, it clearly also has its drawbacks. That includes tempers flaring on the court, as the Fever and Sun experienced during their on-court altercation back in June. Caitlin Clark was at the heart of it all.
Both Clark and Reese are currently injured, with ESPN predicting that Reese will not return for the rest of the season.
Thankfully, the league's viewership and attendance is still going strong despite those injuries.
