Michelle Obama is making it very clear that she is Team Angel Reese. 

In a recent episode of her podcast “IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson,” the former First Lady welcomed the newly traded Atlanta Dream star and praised the way Reese has handled the intense scrutiny that follows her everywhere. 

Obama told Reese, “You are handling yourself beautifully. I mean, it’s not just what you do, but the way you carry yourself, girl. I mean, it is really a joy to watch you manage it all, and you do it with a smile on your face with an excellent attitude,” Obama told her. “You are a special, special person.” 

She later doubled down with an even more direct message for Reese’s critics, “Don’t mess with this girl. Don’t mess with her spirit. Do not mess with this angel. Stop it. Just stop it.” 

Both of these high-profile women know what it means to be watched, judged, and picked apart in public. Reese, 23, said the experience has been especially hard since her rise to national fame, explaining that she appreciates having a safe space to talk openly about the pressure. She told Obama and Robinson that the media has not always been kind to her and that, at times, she would rather take a fine than be forced to answer questions with her back against the wall. 

Obama acknowledged the difference between their ages, noting that she was in her 40s when she was dealing with the spotlight at the White House, while Reese is navigating that kind of pressure at just 23. “It’s a big difference to have to deal with that kind of spotlight,” Obama said, adding that there are “few people who understand what it feels like to never, ever be able to blend in.” 

As Reese settles into a new chapter with the Atlanta Dream, after being traded from the Chicago Sky in one of the biggest WNBA storylines of the season, Obama’s words of encouragement are soothing. Her move to Atlanta has already made her one of the most talked-about names in the league, and Obama’s public support only adds to the sense that Reese’s cultural reach extends far beyond basketball. 

For Reese, the conversation was about more than getting flowers from Michelle Obama. It was about being seen by someone who understands how expensive visibility can be for Black women in the spotlight. And for Obama, it was a chance to remind the culture that grace and strength can live in the same sentence and in the same person.