
WATCH: Welcome to the All-Star stage, Paige!
Team Collier led wire-to-wire in a 2025 WNBA All-Star Game blowout victory over Team Clark, whose captain and Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark sat out due to a groin injury.
The game got off to a high-scoring start aided by a new 4-point shot marker added on the court specifically for tonight, but Napheesa Collier's squad opened up a big lead in the second quarter and led by 22 at halftime. Collier set a new All-Star Game scoring record with 36 points en route to winning MVP of the game while Skylar Diggins broke Sue Bird's assist record with an 11-point, 11-rebound, 15-assist triple-double off the bench.
In addition to its namesake, Team Clark was also dealing with injuries to A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Satou Sabally. Wilson and Young played limited minutes while Sabally sat out along with Clark.
Shortly after tip-off, WNBA Rookie of the Year favorite Paige Bueckers wasted no time scoring her first of likely many career All-Star Game points. Getty Images
Quite a trio right there — A'ja Wilson's boyfriend (and Miami Heat star) Bam Adebayo, Hall of Famer Pau Gasol, and legendary South Carolina coach Dawn Staley all sitting courtside tonight!
I'm still blown away that Whitney Houston performed at the first WNBA All Star Game. She sung the national anthem and it's here if you have never seen it. Imagn Images
The always-competitive Kelsey Plum shows no signs of slowing down, exhibition game or no.
"We want to blow them out," the Team Collier guard says. "We're a lot better than them — I hate to say it."
Courtney Williams, meanwhile, says "I'm getting exactly what I want."
And Angel Reese is just thrilled to see basketball and culture intersect when her friend GloRilla performs the halftime show.
"We have fans outside of basketball, and mixing in rap culture is really important, too," the Sky forward says. Getty Images
Caitlin Clark is clearly relishing her chance to "coach" tonight, even with her team down big.
"You don't realizse how bad four-point shots are going to add up, and they've made quite a few — Phee, McBride. We gotta slow them down. 78 points is a lot."
But when Rebecca Lobo asks when Clark will start preaching defense to her team, the answer is swift.
"NEVER. Come on, Rebecca, you know better than that. Offense is what's going to get us back in it."
Clark also heaps praise on the city of Indianapolis and the fans for providing a great All-Star atmosphere, saying it "certainly" topped last year's festivities in Phoenix.
But will there be a rousing halftime speech with her team down by 22?
"We're gonna listen to (halftime performer) GloRilla, maybe just get a drink — of Gatorade." Getty Images
Caitlin Clark told Ryan Ruocco and Rebecca Lobo during a mic'd up segment that her one coaching strategy was to tell her team to take as many four point shots as possible. There's been value so far for ESPN/ABC with these in-game interview segments because they are getting a lot of time with players so the interviews can go beyond perfunctory. Getty Images
HALFTIME - Team Collier 82, Team Clark 60
The MVPhee party looks like it's going to get started early tonight!
Team Collier has opened up a 22-point lead at the half with its namesake leading all scorers with 18.
A violation for Team Collier as the injured Rhyne Howard steps onto the court to take a corner 3. Shooters shoot, whether they're available or not.
Q2 1:52 - Team Collier 76, Team Clark 58
A funny moment as Kelsey Mitchell steals an inbounds pass from Kelsey Plum — and pumps her fist taking the ball up the court the other way.
A rare silver lining in this first half for Team Clark! Imagn Images
While everyone else lives beyond the 3-point line or seeks out layups in transition, Courtney Williams is playing this game exactly like a regular season contest, getting to her spot on the elbow. Her two midrange jumpers are more than the rest of the All-Stars combined.
Paige Bueckers gave a quick hug to Dawn Staley after she collected an errant ball that landed by the Hall of Fame coach courtside. All love between the two after UConn and South Carolina split two national title games during Bueckers' collegiate tenure. Getty Images
Q2 4:43 - Team Collier 68, Team Clark 46
It's now a 22-point lead for Napheesa Collier's squad. Can Team Clark mount a comeback?
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is here tonight to catch some WNBA action. Several Fever stars, including Clark, sat courtside for several games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse during Indiana's run to Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Getty Images
Looks like Caitlin Clark is getting a head start in her coaching career tonight, whiteboard in hand and vocal chords warmed up.
Q2 6:04 - Team Collier 63, Team Clark 44
Napheesa Collier has 18 points already after back-to-back 4-pointers. Looks like the Team Collier or "Team Phee" namesake doesn't want to wait until after the regular season to hoist an MVP trophy... Getty Images
Q2 9:10 - Team Collier 51, Team Clark 41
It's still a double-digit lead early in the second quarter. Can Team Clark claw back? Not if Angel Reese's rebounding and Napheesa Collier's shotmaking have anything to say about it...
There were five 4-pointers in that first quarter, for those keeping track of this All-Star Game rule. Getty Images
One thing that was so great about last year was the competitiveness of the game and the catalyst for that was Team USA vs. the non Team USA All Stars. So far, this game is running into the same issues the NBA has — understandably, nobody wants to get hurt. There's not a solution for this but the WNBA would be wise to keep being creative in terms of picking the teams (such as Team Collier versus Team Clark) because at least that part will always create conversation.
Eight former Fever All-Stars were just acknowledged between quarters in a nice tribute to the team's history. The final player introduced? Tamika Catchings, who played her entire 15-year career with the Fever, making ten All-Star appearances and helped to lead Indy to its only title in 2012.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


San Francisco Chronicle
24 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
This Date in Baseball - George Steinbrenner is forced to resign as general partner of the NY Yankees
July 30 1917 — Ty Cobb, Bobby Veach and Ossie Vitt, each went 5-for-5 in Detroit's 16-4 romp over Washington. 1933 — Dizzy Dean struck out 17 Cubs for the St. Louis Cardinals, who beat Chicago 8-2. 1947 — The New York Giants defeated Ewell Blackwell and the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 in 10 innings, ending Blackwell's 16-game winning streak. 1959 — Willie McCovey had four hits in four at-bats in his major league debut, with the San Francisco Giants. His hits included two triples in a 7-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. 1962 — The American League, led by homers from Leon Wagner, Pete Runnels and Rocky Colavito, powered past the National League 9-4, in the second All-Star Game of the year. Wagner of the Angels was named MVP. 1968 — Washington shortstop Ron Hansen pulled off an unassisted triple play, but the Cleveland Indians still won the game 10-1. 1969 — Houston, behind grand slams by Denis Menke and Jim Wynn, scored 11 runs in the ninth inning to pound the New York Mets 16-3 in a doubleheader opener at Shea Stadium. Mets pitchers Cal Koonce and Ron Taylor gave up the slams, marking the first time this century that two grand slams were hit in the same inning of a National League game. 1973 — Jim Bibby of the Texas Rangers pitched a 6-0 no-hitter against the Oakland A's. 1980 — Houston Astros pitcher J.R. Richard had a stroke during a workout at the Astrodome and underwent surgery to remove a blood clot behind his right collarbone. 1982 — The Atlanta Braves returned Chief Noc-A-Homa and his teepee to left field after losing 19 of 21 games and blowing a 10½-game lead. The teepee was removed for more seats. The team recovered to regain first place. 1988 — John Franco of the Cincinnati Reds set a major league record with 13 saves in one month. Franco was tied with Sparky Lyle, Bruce Sutter and Bob Stanley. 1990 — George Steinbrenner was forced to resign as general partner of the New York Yankees by Commissioner Fay Vincent. 2008 — Kelly Shoppach of Cleveland tied a major league record with five extra-base hits, including a game-tying homer in the ninth, but Detroit beat the Indians 14-12 in 13 innings. Shoppach had two homers and three doubles. 2009 — A story in the New York Times states that sluggers David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are among the 104 major leaguers who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. The test results were supposed to be kept secret, but Alex Rodriguez's presence on the list of those who tested positive had already been leaked earlier this year. Ortiz states that he was not aware he had tested positive six years earlier and denies using steroids. 2011 — The New York Yankees broke loose for 12 runs in the first inning of the nightcap of a day-night doubleheader, setting a franchise record en route to a 17-3 rout of Baltimore. 2012 — Kendrys Morales homered from both sides of the plate during a nine-run sixth inning, capping the burst with a grand slam that sent the Los Angeles Angels romping past the Texas Rangers 15-8. Morales became the third switch-hitter in major league history to homer as a lefty and righty in the same inning. Carlos Baerga did it for Cleveland in 1993 and Mark Bellhorn of the Chicago Cubs duplicated the feat in 2002. 2017 — Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez are inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.


USA Today
24 minutes ago
- USA Today
Buffalo Bills sign two receivers with injuries mounting
Two pass-catchers have found themselves back with the Buffalo Bills this week. Thanks in part to a bit of a whirlwind of circumstances. Re-joining the team on a one-year deal is wide receiver Deon Cain, who was with Buffalo for training camp last summer, putting up three catches for 28 yards during preseason action. Cain was a 2018 sixth-round NFL Draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts out of Clemson. He has also played for the Eagles, Ravens, and Steelers, as well as for the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL, earning MVP honors during the 2023 USFL Championship game with a three-touchdown performance. Joining him in the Bills receiver group is an undrafted rookie receiver who proved to be a 96-hour release-then-resign player, Kelly Akharaiyi. Akharaiyi was gearing up for his first NFL training camp practice when he was waived along with punter Jake Camarda in order to make room for former Patriots tight end Matt Sokol and second-year wide receiver David White Jr. out of Jacksonville. White was excused from Friday's practice for personal reasons, then placed on the reserve/retired list. Buffalo then pivoted to re-sign Akharaiyi Saturday to the 90-man roster. While the opportunity this time of year is valuable for players to compete to earn a roster or practice squad spot, and for coaching staffs and front offices to evaluate their play and potential fit in the team's depth charts and cap space, the circumstances that led to their signing is "not ideal" as head coach Sean McDermott put it this week. At least four wide receivers were unavailable for the first padded practice of training camp Monday, with nearly half of their passing game targets -- Tyrell Shavers, Curtis Samuel, Elijah Moore, Kaden Prather -- and tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox, out due to injuries. While McDermott and company will hope those players will make a speedy and full recovery, others like Cain, Akharaiyi, and Sokol will have their chance to earn consideration to compete for a depth spot on the roster.


USA Today
24 minutes ago
- USA Today
Azzi Fudd wore adorable custom Paige Bueckers shirt to support her girlfriend
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers and her girlfriend, Azzi Fudd, hard-launched their relationship earlier this year, and now they've treated everyone to adorable things ― like custom shirts. In case you're unaware, Bueckers confirmed the pair were dating during WNBA All-Star weekend after years of speculation. There were murmurs about the former UConn Huskies teammates before then, but nothing anywhere close to official until Fudd sent fans into a frenzy in June with a "Paige Bueckers' Girlfriend" phone case she sneakily dropped in an Instagram story. Now, Fudd is continuing her somewhat quiet but intentionally noticeable support of her girlfriend by not only showing up to her WNBA games, but rocking some custom Bueckers-themed apparel. On Monday, Fudd was in attendance for a Liberty-Wings matchup wearing a lovely "I [heart] P.B." shirt with coordinating pants. How sweet is that? We can't wait to see more of Pazzi ― that's what the kids are calling them these days ― in the future.