Napheesa Collier named WNBA All-Star Game MVP as Team Collier cruises past Team Clark
It was a sign of things to come as Bueckers and Team Collier cruised to a 151-131 victory over Team Clark in the WNBA All-Star Game. Saturday marked the first time the league held its annual midseason showcase in Indiana, and for a state that proudly claims its love of basketball is greater than the other 49, the atmosphere remained upbeat despite a lopsided outcome.
Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier took home the MVP honors with an efficient performance that mirrored the ones that've placed her at the forefront of the regular-season MVP conversation. The five-time All-Star finished with 36 points, including four 4-pointers, and nine rebounds. Collier's 36 points were an All-Star Game record, but it's worth noting that Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale's previous record of 34 points in last year's All-Star Game was not aided by 4-pointers.
During Collier's trophy presentation, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert's voice was drowned out by loud chants of 'PAY THEM! PAY THEM!' in reference to the ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the WNBA and the WNBA Players Association. The players wore black T-shirts with white lettering that said 'Pay Us What You Owe Us!' during warmups to further their message about wanting higher salaries in the new CBA. The current CBA expires Oct. 31.
'The players is what is building this brand and this league,' Collier said. 'There is no league without the players. Past, present, the (players) coming up — they're the ones that have put in the blood, sweat and tears for the new money that's coming in, and so we feel like we are owed a piece of that pie that we helped to create.'
Aside from CBA levering, Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray and Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum also had solid showings for Team Collier with 18 and 16 points. Plum provided some of the funnier moments of the night by fouling her former Las Vegas Aces teammate A'ja Wilson as Wilson dribbled up the court in the first quarter and refused to let her go.
Adding to her shenanigans, Plum threw the ball off the back of Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, who represented Team Clark, in the second quarter before throwing a behind-the-back pass to Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins, who then dished it to New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart for a layup that gave Team Collier a 76-54 lead.
Fellow Team Collier member and Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike scored 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting to become the second all-time leading scorer in WNBA All-Star Game history. The 2012 No. 1 pick and 10-time All-Star has now scored 116 points in the All-Star Game, trailing only Lynx legend Maya Moore for the most all time (119 points). Diggins, a seven-time All-Star, made history as well. The Indiana native and 2009 Indiana Miss Basketball recorded the first triple-double in All-Star Game history with 11 points, 11 rebounds and an All-Star Game record 15 assists.
Fever star Caitlin Clark was sidelined for Team Clark on Saturday with a right groin injury, but as the unofficial host of All-Star weekend, her presence was still felt before and during the game. The two-time All-Star received the loudest roar during pregame intros and spent most of the night cheering on her teammates. However, in typical Clark fashion, she couldn't help but talk a little trash. After Plum got called for a travel in the third quarter, Clark immediately popped up off the bench and demonstratively mimicked the referee's traveling signal and made sure Plum didn't miss it.
The Fever were still well-represented in the All-Star Game with center Aliyah Boston and guard Mitchell making their third appearances. Mitchell paced Team Clark with 20 points, two rebounds and two assists. Boston chipped in with 9 points and six rebounds. Washington Mystics rookie Kiki Iriafen, also representing Team Clark, capped the night with a 4-pointer in the closing seconds. She scored 17 points off the bench as every reserve for Team Clark reached double figures in scoring.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, Los Angeles Sparks, Washington Mystics, Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings, WNBA
2025 The Athletic Media Company
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Brent Rooker Reveals Preferred Team Ahead of Trade Deadline
Brent Rooker Reveals Preferred Team Ahead of Trade Deadline originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Athletics are making it clear which players are part of their long-term vision. Instead of selling off their top performers, the A's have doubled down on youth and internal development, locking in two of their most promising hitters to multi-year extensions. The first move came in January, when the club signed veteran slugger Brent Rooker to a five-year, $60 million extension. Rooker, who won a Silver Slugger Award and earned his first All-Star nod in 2024, has continued to anchor the lineup this season. Through 104 games, he's batting .263 with 21 home runs and 56 RBIs, recently hitting his 100th career home run. Two months later, the A's extended outfielder Lawrence Butler with a seven-year, $65.5 million deal that includes a club option through 2032 and could reach $87.5 million in total value. The 24-year-old has become one of Oakland's most reliable bats in 2025, posting a .249 average, 17 home runs, and 56 RBIs in 387 at-bats. His second-half surge in 2024 (.300/.330/.565) was a major bright spot during a year when the team improved from 50 to 69 wins. The A's enter play on July 24 with a 42-62 record, last in the American League West. However, they've clearly prioritized stability as they continue their relocation process. Now playing home games at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, the franchise is set to move to Las Vegas in 2028. The long-term uncertainty has led to speculation that the A's might shop players like Rooker ahead of the deadline. Instead, Rooker made it clear where he stands during a recent appearance on the Foul Territory podcast. 'I'm not going anywhere, Kratzy,' Rooker told co-host Erik Kratz. "I signed the extension because I'm where I want to be. I believe in what we're doing, the people that we have (roster and players), our coaching staff, in the building. I believe in everything going on and I want to be a part of that." Between Butler's breakout and Rooker's consistency, the A's appear to have their offensive foundation in place. The A's may not be ready to contend yet, but the message is clear: they're not starting from scratch much longer. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Phillies third baseman Edmundo Sosa leaves after collision with left fielder Brandon Marsh
NEW YORK (AP) — Philadelphia third baseman Edmundo Sosa left Saturday's game against the New York Yankees after he was elbowed in the back by left fielder Brandon Marsh in a collision while catching Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s seventh-inning popup. Sosa, Marsh and shortstop Trea Turner converged on the ball in short left field. Turner peeled off, Sosa made the catch, then was knocked to the ground by Marsh. Sosa's fall caused the ball to pop out of his glove. After Phillies head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit and manager Rob Thomson came out to attend to Sosa, the third baseman walked off slowly with Marsh's arm around him. Umpires initially awarded Chisholm a hit, but the call was changed to an inning-ending out in a video review as they concluded Sosa had possession of the ball before hitting the grass. Otto Kemp pinch hit for Sosa in the eighth. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Could a Quantum Computing Bubble Be About to Pop? History Offers a Clear Answer
Key Points IonQ, Rigetti Computing, D-Wave Quantum, and Quantum Computing have reached valuation levels well beyond those seen during prior stock market bubbles. Each of these companies has recently raised capital through a series of equity offerings and stock issuances. These moves could suggest that the valuation levels for these businesses are not only abnormally high, but unsustainable. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › Last summer, companies such as IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI), D-Wave Quantum (NYSE: QBTS), and Quantum Computing (NASDAQ: QUBT) were unknown penny stocks. However, as quantum computing steadily made its way toward center stage in the artificial intelligence (AI) realm, each of these companies witnessed meteoric rises in their share prices. Over the last 12 months, IonQ stock has blasted higher by 517%, while Rigetti, D-Wave, and Quantum Computing have experienced surges of at least 1,500% as of this writing (July 21). With valuations reaching historically high levels, could investors be on the verge of witnessing a quantum computing bubble bursting? Is quantum computing in a bubble? The chart below illustrates valuation trends among popular quantum computing stocks on a price-to-sales (P/S) basis. As I outlined in a prior article, the quantum computing stocks above are trading at far higher P/S multiples compared to levels seen during the dot-com and COVID-19 stock bubbles. For example, during the internet boom in the late 1990s, stocks such as Amazon, Cisco, and Microsoft experienced peak P/S ratios in the range of 30x and 40x. Taking this a step further, popular COVID stocks such as Zoom Communications and Peloton saw P/S multiples top out at 124x and 20x, respectively. The big theme here is that IonQ, Rigetti, D-Wave, and Quantum Computing are each trading for valuation multiples that could be seen as historically high, even when compared to prior bubble events. With that said, other AI companies that are also exploring quantum computing -- such as Nvidia, Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft -- currently trade for much more reasonable valuation multiples when compared to the companies in the chart above. For this reason, I do not think the entire quantum computing landscape is at risk of experiencing a bubble-bursting event. However, IonQ and its peers have been dropping some breadcrumbs in recent months that lead me to think the smaller quantum computing players could be on the verge of a harsh sell-off. What's going on under the hood with quantum computing stocks? After some digging into certain filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), I think IonQ, Rigetti, D-Wave, and Quantum Computing may be trying to signal some important things to investors: In February, IonQ announced that it planned to raise up to $500 million through a series of stock issuances. The company doubled down on its capital-raising ambitions more recently, offering 14,165,708 shares at a price of $55.49 -- raising nearly $1 billion in the process. In June, Rigetti raised $350 million in capital after completing an at-the-market (ATM) equity offering. Between June 11 and June 27, D-Wave Quantum raised $400 million through an ATM offering. Of note: This followed a prior raise of $150 million that occurred in January. In late June, Quantum Computing raised $200 million following the issuance of 14 million shares at an average price of $14.25. What's really going on here? With each of these quantum computing stocks trading near all-time highs, it appears to me that management is looking to take advantage of frothy market conditions. Quantum computing is a research-heavy, capital-intensive industry. Management at IonQ and its peers surely understand this, and so I see these capital raises as a calculated move to capitalize on inflated, overstretched valuations. Should you invest in quantum computing stocks? To me, any hint of a bubble surrounding IonQ and its smaller peers may already be in the process of bursting. Under the surface, the various stock issuances and equity offerings annotated above could suggest that management does not believe current price levels are sustainable. By using the dot-com and COVID bubbles as benchmarks, history would suggest that a major correction could be on the horizon for these small quantum computing stocks. Issuing stock to raise funds is not sustainable in the long run. Furthermore, consistently diluting shareholders through these offerings could call into question how these companies are allocating capital. In my eyes, if investors are seeking exposure to the quantum computing industry, they are best off exploring more diversified opportunities in big tech as opposed to the smaller, more speculative players analyzed in this piece. Trump's Tariffs Could Create $1.5 Trillion AI Gold Rush The Motley Fool's analysts are tracking a massive shift in U.S. tech. Over $1.5 trillion is already flowing into infrastructure, AI, and advanced manufacturing… and the number keeps climbing. Following a major tariff policy shift, a new AI Gold Rush is taking shape, and we think . It builds the tech infrastructure that Apple, OpenAI, and others suddenly can't live without. We just released a full write-up on this under-the-radar stock — and why now might be the exact moment to move. Continue » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 21, 2025 Adam Spatacco has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Cisco Systems, Microsoft, Nvidia, Peloton Interactive, and Zoom Communications. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Could a Quantum Computing Bubble Be About to Pop? History Offers a Clear Answer was originally published by The Motley Fool
