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USA Today
19 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
4-point shot and live-play subs highlight 2025 WNBA All-Star Game rule changes
Indiana Fever All-Star guard Caitlin Clark promised the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis will be "the best All-Star that the WNBA has ever had." The league is doing its part by implementing rule changes to make the Saturday matchup between Team Clark and Team Naphessa Collier even flashier and faster. On Wednesday, the WNBA announced four special rules will be in play at the All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to provide "added entertainment and an enhanced pace of play" for one night only on Saturday. The changes include a four-point shot deep from the logo and live-play substitutions similar to hockey. Special rules were first implemented at the 2022 All-Star game in Chicago, leading to Team A'ja Wilson's high-energy 134-112 win over Team Breanna Stewart. Here's a breakdown for each rule: AT&T 4-Point shot The 4-point shot is back. The 4-point shot was first implemented at the 2022 WNBA All-Star Game and made an appearance at the 2023 edition, before going on hiatus in the 2024 WNBA exhibition game between the U.S. women's national team and Team WNBA ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Each player will have the opportunity to score four points by shooting at a designated 'AT&T 4-Point Shot' area on the court, made up of four circles placed 28-feet from the rim, six feet further than the 3-point line. For every 4-point shot successfully made, AT&T will donate to a foundation selected by the WNBA and players. THE STAGE IS SET 🌟Team Clark and Team Collier have locked in their final rosters for the 2025 @ATT WNBA All-Star Game!Watch them take the court in Indianapolis July 19 at 8:30pm/ET on ABC. Live-play substitutions The WNBA is taking a page from the NHL's playbook. Team's will be allowed to make hockey-like player substitutions while the ball is in play, but only under certain conditions. The team on offense is the only one permitted to make a live-play substitution and only one player is allowed per possession. According to the WNBA: Any violations of these conditions will result in a turnover. 20-second shot clock Bye-bye, 24 second shot clock. Players will have to get to the basket a little quicker as the shot clock will be shortened from 24 to 20 seconds. Following an offensive rebound, the shot clock will be reset to 14 seconds. No free throws Free throws are being shown the door. Anytime a player is required to shoot a free throw, they will "automatically be credited with the maximum available point(s) given the situation," the league explained. Free throws will only be in play in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and in overtime. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Caitlin Clark's groin injury puts participation in WNBA All-Star Game in jeopardy
WNBA All-Star weekend is only a few days away, with the anticipation of hometown favorite Caitlin Clark serving as captain of Team Clark for the game in Indianapolis palpable among fans. Nothing like a pulled muscle to mute the buzz. The Indiana Fever superstar guardgrabbed her right groin and appeared to be holding back tears as she exited with 39.6 seconds to play in a victory against the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night. '[Clark] just felt a little something in her groin,' Fever coach Stephanie White told reporters. 'She's being evaluated, we'll see where we are with that, and certainly we'll have another evaluation, probably a conversation in the morning, and see where we are.' Teammate Aliyah Boston tried to console Clark as she walked to the basket stanchion and tapped her forehead against it before sitting down and covering her head with a towel. She did not speak with reporters after the game. This is the fourth leg injury of the season for Clark, who is averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and five rebounds a game. She missed five games — including the Commissioner's Cup Championship — because of a left groin strain and missed five games with an injury to her left quad. She also missed the Fever's preseason opener May 3 because of tightness in her quad. Before this season, Clark, 23, had never missed a game in college or the WNBA because of injury. She played all 139 games at Iowa, then 46 games in a row to start her WNBA career. 'It's been challenging mentally, just, you know, staying in it,' Clark told reporters July 8 before her return from the left groin injury. 'I've been here for hours and hours on hours trying to get my body right and do everything I can to put myself in a position to be available the rest of the year.' The Fever plays the New York Liberty on Wednesday at Barclay Center ahead of the All-Star Game, which will be played Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Fever's home arena. Clark is also scheduled to compete in the 3-point contest Friday. Clark and Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx were named captains of the All-Star teams and drafted the rosters after getting the most fan votes. Clark finished with a record 1,293,526 fan votes and Collier received 1,176,020.
USA Today
09-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 WNBA All-Star draft results: Caitlin Clark selects Fever teammates
Caitlin Clark is joining forces with her Indiana Fever teammates for the 2025 WNBA All-Star game. 'There's a high chance that (Kelsey Mitchell) and (Aliyah Boston) will be on my team,' the two-time All-Star teased Monday during an open practice for season ticket holders. She did just that. In her first appearance as an WNBA All-Star captain, Clark promptly selected her Fever teammates Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell with the first and 10th picks of the All-Star Game draft, which aired Tuesday. Clark's All-Star team picks are extra meaningful considering the 2025 WNBA All-Star game will be held at the Fever's Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on July 19. "I know this is going to be super surprising for everyone watching," Clark joked before selecting Boston. The selection of Clark, Boston and Mitchell marks the second consecutive year the Fever have a trio of players at the All-Star game. The Fever is tied with the Seattle Storm for the most representatives at this year's All-Star game. 2025 WNBA ALL-STAR STARTERS, RESERVES: Reese, Plum join roster as snubs abound Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, who was also named an All-Star captain after picking up the second-most fan votes, similarly selected teammate Courtney Williams to her team. Here's a full recap of the 2025 WNBA All-Star draft on Tuesday: 2025 WNBA All-Star draft results Clark and Collier were tasked with drafting their All-Star teams playground-style from a pool of eight starters and 12 reserves. Clark, who received the most fan votes, got the first pick. Here's how the All-Star draft shook out, starting with starters: Since Clark picked first from the pool of starters, Collier got to select first from the reserves: 2025 WNBA All-Star draft trades: Captains swap coaches Following the 2025 WNBA All-Star draft, Collier and Clark had the opportunity to make trades. Clark offered up Satou Sabally in exchange for Team Collier's Breanna Stewart to address Team Clark's sizing needs, but Collier promptly shot down the request. Collier came back with a counteroffer and agreed to trade Breanna Stewart for Team Clark's Aliyah Boston. Clark emphatically replied, "Absolutely not. Not happening." However, the two did come to an agreement on swapping coaches. Cheryl Reeve of the Minnesota Lynx will now serve as coach of Team Collier, while Sandy Brondello of the New York Liberty will coach Team Clark. "I don't know if this in the rules. I don't really care," Clark declared. "We already discussed. We are going to trade coaches. (Collier) is going to take her coach. Sandy Brondello, let's get it... sorry WNBA." ESPN broadcaster Malika Andrews confirmed the coach trade on behalf of the league. WNBA All-Star roster: Team Caitlin Clark Clark didn't appear to have much of a strategy heading into Tuesday's WNBA All-Star draft, saying, "I'm going on vibes. I'm picking whatever comes to mind. We're just having fun. My team is going to be fun. You get to be in front of the home crowd in Indianapolis." However, Clark had a game plan to select her teammates. WNBA All-Star roster: Team Napheesa Collier Collier had a clear cut strategy heading into the draft — shoot for current and former teammates. "I feel like got to try to get some of my (Unrivaled) Owls girls on here and got to try to get some of my (UConn) Huskies girls on here, so I've got an agenda coming into today," Collier said. How to watch the 2025 WNBA All-Star draft? Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier will unveil their All-Star teams during the WNBA All-Star Game draft, which will be broadcast on "WNBA Countdown Presented by Google' on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday. 2025 WNBA All-Star game starters 2025 WNBA All-Star reserves Who will Caitlin Clark draft first? All-Star captain Caitlin Clark will grab her Indiana Fever teammate Aliyah Boston off the board first, according to For the Win's latest 2025 WNBA All-Star mock draft. "The chemistry is already established, and Boston has been one of the best bigs in the league this year," Meghan Hall writes. Catch up on Hall's full mock draft here. WNBA All-Star Game snubs As is the case with any selective process, there is bound to be a few worthy athletes left off the teams. 2025 is no different. Here are a few of the players that had a worthy All-Star case, but came up just short: The Minnesota Lynx boast the best record in the WNBA currently, and McBride has been a huge reason why. The four-time All-Star is shooting over 40% from three-point range for the second season in a row. Yes, her playstyle can lead to some duds if she isn't hitting her shots. After all, she's failed to record double-digit points in any game she doesn't hit a three in. That said, her ability to expand the floor combined with her solid playmaking have made her one of the most feared players in the league for years. When she gets hot, she can turn a game on its head. You don't get the best record in the WNBA without having a myriad of talent, and Alanna Smith is living proof. Though she could be considered the fourth scoring option on her own team, that doesn't take away from her efficiency on the floor, shooting 48.6% from the field, all while providing solid glass work as well. Read Jon Hoefling's full list of snubs here. Opinion: Caitlin Clark should pick Angel Reese for her WNBA All-Star team Caitlin Clark has the chance to quiet the toxic behavior of the worst of her fans and send an emphatic message by drafting Angel Reese. The Chicago Sky forward has been cast as the villain to Clark's hero dating back to their junior years in college, when Reese waved her ring finger at Clark after LSU beat Iowa in the NCAA championship game. Whether Reese was taunting or mimicking Clark's own 'You can't see me' diss didn't matter. A rivalry was born. But there's an ugly undertone to Clark and Reese's rivalry that's an issue for everyone in the WNBA. Read Nancy Armour's full column here. Contributing: Meghan Hall, Nancy Armour, Jon Hoefling The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Hindustan Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
WNBA All-Star draft: Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier trade coaches
Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier were encouraged to negotiate some trades immediately after their WNBA All-Star draft on Tuesday night. Instead, they swapped their head coaches. WNBA All-Star draft: Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier trade coaches Clark, as the leading vote-getter, was assigned Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the WNBA-leading Minnesota Lynx. Collier, Clark's rival captain and the Lynx's star player, was assigned New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello. Now, in what appeared to be Clark's initial suggestion, Brondello will coach Team Clark and Reeve will coach Team Collier in the All-Star Game on July 19 in Indianapolis. Clark said on the ESPN broadcast that she and Collier had previously discussed the idea of trading coaches, but that she didn't know if it was in the rules to do so. "I agree with the trade. I love Cheryl, she's my coach here," Collier said. "And you know what, that's just going be worse for Team Clark because now we got more chemistry on our side, we've got more synergy, we know what we expect from each other. So that was a bad move on your part, Caitlin, and we're taking you down." Clark reminded Collier that Brondello is the defending league champion. Brondello's Liberty beat Collier and Reeve's Lynx in the WNBA Finals last fall. There could be more to the trade than reuniting the Minnesota coach and star. In Reeve's role as head coach of Team USA, she decided not to pick Clark for the 2024 Summer Olympics team that went on to win gold. Reeve had previously taken a shot at the WNBA for putting Clark at the center of its national TV strategy, at one point posting a tweet with the hashtags #12teams and #theWismorethanoneplayer. Team Clark's starting five features Aliyah Boston, Sabrina Ionescu, A'ja Wilson and Satou Sabally. Team Collier will have Breanna Stewart, Allisha Gray, Nneka Ogwumike and rookie Paige Bueckers on the floor to start the game. Clark used the first pick of the draft on Fever teammate Boston, ensuring the home fans in Indianapolis will be able to cheer for both on the same team. Clark later spent her first reserve pick on Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, as well. Collier's first starter selected was Stewart, the two-time MVP and seven-time All-Star. Clark drafted Stewart's Liberty teammate, Ionescu, and Collier added Gray from the Atlanta Dream, leaving Clark to snag three-time MVP Wilson in her seventh All-Star appearance. Collier said she hoped her fellow UConn Huskie Bueckers would still be available at the end of the round as she chose Seattle's Ogwumike next, leaving Clark to tease her for telegraphing her next move. But rather than steal Bueckers, Clark chose Sabally, who is having a career year in her first season with the Mercury. Collier picked Clark's college rival Angel Reese with her team's third pick of the reserves round. As for player trades, Clark and Collier tossed some ideas around but ultimately decided they wanted to stick with the teams they had drafted. The full teams are as follows: Team Clark starters Caitlin Clark Aliyah Boston Sabrina Ionescu A'ja Wilson Satou Sabally Team Clark reserves Kelsey Mitchell Gabby Williams Sonia Citron Kiki Iriafen Jackie Young Kayla Thornton Team Collier starters Napheesa Collier Breanna Stewart Allisha Gray Nneka Ogwumike Paige Bueckers Team Collier reserves Courtney Williams Skylar Diggins Angel Reese Alyssa Thomas Kelsey Plum Rhyne Howard Field Level Media This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Team Clark or Team Collier? Our experts draft their WNBA All-Star squads
Who will Caitlin Clark pick? Who will Napheesa Collier take? The WNBA All-Star Game captains will select their rosters in a draft at 7 p.m. (ET) Tuesday, airing on ESPN's 'WNBA Countdown.' Choosing their season-long teammates or optimizing their rosters with a balance of guards and bigs? Lots of interesting decisions await. Our WNBA experts at , Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman, joined 'No Offseason' host Zena Keita to take on the task in a mock draft. Based on a coin flip, Pickman represented Team Clark, and Merchant represented Napheesa Collier. Pickman: I'm going to take the other best player available. Before I get into the positional weeds, I will go with A'ja Wilson. We know Caitlin Clark is going to take Aliyah Boston first, but I personally, as Ben Pickman, will be taking A'ja Wilson. Merchant: I'm going to take (Breanna Stewart). Pickman: Give me Sabrina Ionescu. Guards have won the WNBA All-Star MVP every year since 2013. … Give me Sabrina for some more shooting. Merchant: We'll keep the UConn train rolling here. I'll take Paige. Keita: Staying within the lineage. Geno would be proud, Phee. OK, Caitlin, you're up. Pickman: Paige was going to be my next choice, so I have to reevaluate this draft. I am going to take Allisha Gray. Keita: Oh my gosh, just guard heavy over here. Pickman: All-Star Game performer. Keita: Whether she shows up in the game or the skills or anything, you know she's got a good track record coming in from last year. So far, Caitlin only has one big. Phee, you've got two bigs and Paige. Where do you want to go next? Merchant: There's no more guards left in this pool, so we'll just keep choosing bigs. That's fine. I'll go with Nneka (Ogwumike). Keita: Going across the country to Stanford. Merchant: No more UConns left. What are you going to do? Keita: They'll take the Cardinal in nicely. OK, Caitlin, who do you want next? Pickman: Again, because I am playing the role of myself, I am taking Satou Sabally. That means Aliyah Boston will get assigned to Sabreena's Napheesa Collier WNBA All-Star draft with Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier is tonight — but will air said 'I think there's a high chance that Kels and AB are on my team.'That's the goal. Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) July 7, 2025 Keita: We've got Caitlin's team so far: A'ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, Allisha Gray, Satou Sabally. This is a solid starting lineup. I really like this balance here. And then Napheesa Collier, I'll tell you what, you've got some size. Some big bodies. Merchant: This is the issue with the way the pool is assigned, where the guards also include threes. So I'm just basically picking from fours and fives. Keita: Pretty much. Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart, Paige Bueckers, Nneka Ogwumike and Aliyah Boston. OK, Phee, now we are going to go into the reserves. You've got first pick, so you've got a chance to maybe bolster your perimeter. Merchant: Yeah, I think that's going to be necessary. I'm going to have to take some guards here. Very good guard group in the reserve selection. We can have some fun here. I do think … I kind of want some shooting. Let's go Kelsey Mitchell. I've got two Indiana people in Indiana at least, trying to make up for the fact that Caitlin's on the other team. Keita: That's OK. Caitlin will have to be on the sideline watching her pick-and-roll executed right in front of her. All right, Caitlin, what you want? Pickman: Before I make a total strategy shift, I'm going to take Kelsey Plum, and just continue to load up on guards. Kelsey Plum, a former All-Star Game MVP. Reunite her with A'ja Wilson in this game. Keita: There's a lot of size over here on the Phee side. Merchant: I feel good about it. It's all very versatile size. Stewie played the five over the weekend. She could easily play the one or the two for this particular roster. Keita: You pretty much have a team that can take the ball off the rim and go, outside of Aliyah Boston, maybe. Let's keep going, Phee, what do you want? Merchant: Speaking of players who can take the ball off the rim and go, I'm tempted to take Alyssa Thomas here, but she has not shown a lot of interest in All-Star Games before. So I'm not sure if this is the play that I want to take her. Let's just get a little more ballhandling. I'm going to go with Skylar Diggins. Keita: Love that choice. Skylar Diggins and Nneka getting to play again together. I like it. Caitlin, what's the rebuttal? Pickman: I'm going to take Angel (Reese). A little size, frontcourt presence and rebounding. Keita: Also somebody who can take the ball off the rim and go. There you go.⭐️2x ALL-STAR BARBIE⭐️Angel Reese is officially a 2025 WNBA All-Star🤩 Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) July 6, 2025 Merchant: All right, in terms of getting some more players on the same team who are teammates, we'll go with Courtney Williams here. Keita: You're getting a lot of buckets. I like the quick foot speed on this side. Pickman: Sabreena called it out. Alyssa Thomas, not really a fan of All-Star Games, not really a fan of putting up big numbers in them, I should say. But I will take AT. Keita: Let's pause real quick and see how we're looking. Caitlin team's … let's go guards. You've got Caitlin, but Caitlin's still dealing with that groin injury. Kelsey Plum, Allisha Gray, Sabrina Ionescu. That's some solid (guard play). Alyssa Thomas and Angel Reese, both players who can give you that frontcourt size but also the ability to take the ball and go and distribute. … You've got some versatility. And then Satou Sabally, of course, that can play three, four, two, whatever you want. OK, Caitlin's team's looking solid. And of course, A'ja Wilson, you can never doubt her. Then Phee's team: You've got Napheesa Collier, Paige Bueckers, Nneka Ogumike, Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Skylar Diggins, Courtney Williams. I like this veteran presence in the guards. This is cool. I like this. You've got some veterans that know how to be All-Stars, know how to play the game, know how to entertain us in the All-Star Game, and are also very competitive. I feel like this game might get spicy the way you have this broken out. Let's round out. You each have three more picks. Merchant: I am going to take Jackie Young. Pickman: I will keep a reunion together. I will take Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream, pairs with Allisha Gray. Keita: Very nice. Big guard energy. Phee, who do you want next? Merchant: We can keep all the Storm together. I'll take Gabby Williams. Pickman: We have three players left: Sonia Citron, Kayla Thornton and Kiki Iriafen. All three first-timers. Who is going to have the best game in an All-Star Game context? These are all good teammates, can be unselfish players at times. It'll be interesting to see if any of them have big games when the actual exhibition kicks off. I am going to take Kayla Thornton. I think repping for the Valkyries, wanting to show out for the expansion fans in this game. Keita: Now, Phee, you have a choice between two rookies. The Mystics. You've got to break them up regardless. Which one do you want? Merchant: I think I'm going to take Citron. I'm a little worried about leaving all of the really good offensive rebounders on Team Caitlin, but every time I see Citron guard Paige Bueckers, I don't think Paige likes it, so we're going to keep Citron. Keita: That means Caitlin / Ben, you're rounding out with Kiki Irafen. You've got some solid size presence. You had me in the first half, a little concerned, but now you've rounded out nicely with your reserves. Phee, I was a little concerned that you couldn't get the ball up the floor, but now you've got really good guard presence. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks, Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings, Las Vegas Aces, Phoenix Mercury, Golden State Valkyries, WNBA, No Offseason Podcast 2025 The Athletic Media Company
