Despite a hostile reception from part of a record‑crowd at the All‑Star Game Saturday night, Caitlin Clark kept her composure and focus.
A former U.S. President had reminded her the day before, “Don’t lose that joy.”
She heeded the advice.
If Obama singled her out, it was because Clark is already resilient enough to excel. Dribbling the ball, she spun toward the basket at Chicago’s United Center and embraced a moment she hopes to repeat often.
“You’re kind of just like a young kid running around out there and having fun and shooting whatever shots and being creative and playing with flow, and I really enjoy that about the game of basketball,” she said. “So, it was really fun for me to get back out there.”
Selected first overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark earned All‑Star honors months later. She noted that Saturday’s format made the game feel different from a typical midseason exhibition.
The United States women’s national team played against the All‑Stars, which included Clark, as part of preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Two years later, a record 19,783 fans packed the venue for a game starring teams drafted by Hall of Famers Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon, celebrating the league’s 30th anniversary.
Clark was one of eight Team Spoon players to finish in double figures in a 129‑122 victory. She contributed 11 of the team’s first 13 points en route to a 17‑point, four‑rebound, five‑assist performance.
She delivered a trio of deep three‑pointers in the opening 2:23, with the final shot of that sequence landing just inside the half‑court line.
Grinning and occasionally sticking her tongue out as she jogged back down the floor—a familiar gesture—Clark channeled the exhilaration of the moment.
An injury kept her from the 2025 All‑Star Game hosted by the Fever. The rival Chicago Sky also moved two regular‑season games against Indiana from Wintrust Arena to United Center last summer, but Clark was sidelined for those contests as well.
“Obviously, last year really stunk in it being in our home city. You never want to miss that for the fans,” Clark said. “So, I love to show up and get to compete and play.”
Her popularity following a standout collegiate career at Iowa has helped drive a surge in WNBA interest, with Chicago previously hosting the 2022 All‑Star Game at Wintrust Arena before a crowd of 9,572.
With fame comes what Obama called “immersion in nonsense” during a candid conversation that was shared on social media. The former president surprised All‑Stars on Friday during practice at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago and playfully defended New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones, later the All‑Star MVP.
Clark was scheduled to travel back to Indiana after the game, with the team flying to Seattle on Sunday ahead of Tuesday’s second‑half opener.
Indiana entered the break on a 5‑1 run, and the momentum promises to continue. Clark became the first player in league history to record a 45‑point, 10‑assist game on July 17.
She and the Fever are set to return to the United Center when they face the Sky on August 8.
“The reality is that that young lady brought so many people and so many eyes,” said Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell, who scored 28 points for Team Coop, “but I think the transformation for us and the Indiana Fever was that we brought culture back. We brought a sense of purpose and the game.”
