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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Stephanie Kaloi in Chicago

The lessons of the WNBA’s triumphant All-Star Weekend: ‘get off the ’net’ and lean into the joy

Jonquel Jones celebrates with Team Spoon teammate Caitlin Clark after their win in Saturday night’s WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago.
Jonquel Jones celebrates with Team Spoon teammate Caitlin Clark after their win in Saturday night’s WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago. Photograph: Sage Zipeto/Getty Images

If your perceptions of what the WNBA is like in 2026 are largely shaped by narratives derived from and driven by social media, the scene in Chicago at WNBA All-Star Weekend would have proved a surprise.

The mood Friday morning at the Barack Obama Presidential Center was downright ebullient. And, sure, to a degree that was because No 44 himself clocked in for about an hour of practice. The former president briefly showed off some moves in his jeans and loafers after he was surprise-attacked by the New York Liberty’s Jonquel Jones.

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