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INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is injured and will not be capable to play, however the get together continues to be on for WNBA All-Star weekend.
For the primary time, Indianapolis hosts the WNBA All-Star Sport, and Indiana’s capital metropolis has gone all-in, from in depth signage on the airport to the downtown space surrounding Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Clark, the main vote-getter in All-Star fan balloting and a staff captain together with the Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier, is out with a groin damage. She will not play in Saturday’s recreation (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) or in Friday’s 3-point capturing contest.
Friday’s occasions (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) will start with the abilities problem, headlined by Atlanta Dream ahead Allisha Grey, who gained the competitors in 2024 in Phoenix.
Grey will look to defend her title in opposition to a pool of guards: the New York Liberty’s Natasha Cloud, the Seattle Storm’s Skylar Diggins and Erica Wheeler, and the Minnesota Lynx’s Courtney Williams.
Then a number of the WNBA’s greatest long-range shooters will compete within the 3-point contest, the place Grey may even attempt to defend her title. She’s going to go head-to-head with 3-point contest document holder Sabrina Ionescu, Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum and Washington Mystics rookie Sonia Citron.
How will all of it play out? ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel sit up for the occasions and make some predictions. And verify again later Friday for his or her reside, on web site evaluation and protection from Indianapolis.
With Clark out, what is the prime storyline for the weekend?
Philippou: It is the standing of the collective bargaining settlement negotiations between the league and the gamers’ union. Greater than 40 WNBA gamers attended a gathering Thursday in Indianapolis the place either side hoped some progress would emerge towards a decision for a brand new deal. The WNBPA put out an announcement afterward indicating the gamers weren’t happy with the league’s response to its proposals, and gamers will doubtless have extra to say Friday throughout media availability about their issues. And commissioner Cathy Engelbert will probably be requested about it throughout her annual All-Star information convention Saturday night time.
Voepel: Clark is just not enjoying, however the festivities are nonetheless a tribute to the highlight she has helped deliver to the franchise. Indiana joined the WNBA in 2000, but Indianapolis was by no means a metropolis you heard talked about for All-Star Sport consideration — till 2024 No. 1 decide and Rookie of the Yr Clark’s large recognition made it appear to be a pure match. Of the 20 earlier All-Star Video games, Mohegan Solar Area in Connecticut has hosted 4 instances, and Las Vegas, New York and Phoenix have every hosted thrice.
Even sidelined, Clark stays an enormous star right here. Youngsters will line up hoping to get an autograph or at the least a glimpse of her.
This case is quite a bit like 2019 when the All-Star Sport was held in Las Vegas for the primary time, thanks partly to the recognition of A’ja Wilson. She had been WNBA Rookie of the Yr in 2018 when the franchise moved to Vegas from San Antonio. Like Clark now, Wilson in 2019 was an All-Star staff captain not capable of play on account of damage, however was nonetheless an enormous presence on the recreation.
Together with her sidelined, what position will Clark play this weekend in Indianapolis?
Andrews: Clark could have a heavy presence on the sideline. She’s the host for All-Star weekend in Indianapolis. She is a powerful cause the festivities are in Indiana. Clark has a critical aggressive edge, and now that she’s not enjoying she is perhaps much more vocal than she would have been if she had been within the recreation. She’s going to be up, chirping at officers and opponents. It additionally may give her a greater alternative to work together together with her house followers. When she chosen her staff, she repeatedly stated how a lot enjoyable All-Star weekend is meant to be. She stated it was all about “vibes.” Anticipate to see her proceed that mind-set, and convey a lightheartedness to the sport and Friday night time.
Voepel: Clark has such a pointy thoughts for basketball technique and eager understanding of personnel, it isn’t a stretch to see her being a WNBA or NBA coach sometime if that is what she needs to do. Little doubt, she will probably be a really engaged “assistant” to Staff Clark coach Sandy Brondello on Saturday.
Philippou: Other than what Mike and Kendra talked about, Clark nonetheless has such an outsized presence across the metropolis of Indianapolis, even when she will not be on the courtroom. All over the place you flip there appears to be a banner or set up together with her likeness on it — to not point out the huge, 92,000 sq. foot Nike advert on the JW Marriott towering over downtown Indianapolis. She will not be removed from thoughts this weekend even when she will be able to’t take part as she had hoped.
a message from Caitlin Clark ❤️ pic.twitter.com/zRGZEpqF5R
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) July 17, 2025
Who’re you most excited to look at Friday night time?
Andrews: The three-point contest is stacked, however I am most trying ahead to watching Ionescu in that competitors. The final time she participated within the occasion, in 2023, she took house the title after getting a record-breaking 37 factors. That is probably the most factors scored within the 3-point shootout in each the WNBA and NBA. Then in 2024 she competed in opposition to Stephen Curry at NBA All-Star Weekend. There, she obtained 26 factors and misplaced to Curry by simply two after he made his last pictures. Ionescu is among the greatest shooters the W has seen and will placed on a present Friday night time.
Philippou: I am with Kendra — what a bunch of contestants lined up, even with out Clark. Past Ionescu, will Grey be capable to defend one (or each) of her titles? Plum is among the hardest rivals there may be and will by no means be counted out, and Citron might proceed her streak of displaying up huge in clutch moments with a memorable efficiency Friday night time in her first All-Star weekend.
Voepel: Wheeler within the expertise problem. Some of the emotional moments in WNBA All-Star historical past was in 2019 when Wheeler grew to become the one undrafted participant to be chosen the sport’s MVP. She had 25 factors — together with a document seven 3-pointers — to guide Staff Wilson to victory. Upon receiving her MVP trophy, Wheeler shed tears whereas speaking about dropping her mom to most cancers whereas she was enjoying collegiately for Rutgers, after which battling to make it to the WNBA.
Final yr, Wheeler — who has spent six seasons in two separate stints with Indiana — was a well-liked participant with Fever followers. They appreciated her hustling enjoying type and the way supportive she was as a veteran to then-rookie Clark. Wheeler now performs for Seattle, however a number of Fever followers are prone to root for her within the expertise problem.
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