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Indianapolis Star
5 days ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Snacks, laughs and cheers: See how Caitlin Clark has kept busy on bench while out with injury
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) yells in excitement Wednesday, July 30, 2025, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Grace Hollars/IndyStar Injured Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) looks on from the bench during the first half of a basketball game against the Chicago Sky at United Center. Kamil Krzaczynski, Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) sits on the bench with Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Grace Hollars/IndyStar (L-R) Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever reacts with New York Liberty mascot Ellie the Elephant prior to the Kia WNBA Skills Challenge during the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star weekend at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 18, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Steph Chambers, Getty Images Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever in the Kia WNBA Skills Challenge during the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star weekend at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 18, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Steph Chambers, Getty Images Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever reacts during the first quarter of the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Steph Chambers, Getty Images Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever looks on prior to the game against the Chicago Sky during the first half at the United Center on July 27, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Michael Reaves, Getty Images (L-R) Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the New York Liberty, Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever, and A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces react on the bench during the first quarter of the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Steph Chambers, Getty Images Ishika Samant, Getty Images Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever reacts on the bench against the Chicago Sky during the first half at the United Center on July 27, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Michael Reaves, Getty Images Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever disagrees with an official's call during the game against the Las Vegas Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 24, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Andy Lyons, Getty Images Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever wears a shirt saying "Pay us what you owe us" prior to the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Steph Chambers, Getty Images Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever signs autographs for fans prior to the game between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever at the United Center on July 27, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Michael Reaves, Getty Images Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever reacts on the bench against the Chicago Sky during the first half at the United Center on July 27, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois Michael Reaves, Getty Images Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever talks with head coach Stephanie White prior to the game against the Chicago Sky at the United Center on July 27, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Michael Reaves, Getty Images Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever reacts on the bench against the Chicago Sky during the first half at the United Center on July 27, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Michael Reaves, Getty Images Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever reacts on the bench against the Chicago Sky during the first half at the United Center on July 27, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Michael Reaves, Getty Images Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever laughs on the bench during the first half against the Dallas Wings at American Airlines Center on August 1, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. Ron Jenkins, Getty Images Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever looks on prior to the game against the Chicago Sky at the United Center on July 27, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Michael Reaves, Getty Images Soobum Im, Getty Images Sophie Cunningham #8 of the Indiana Fever and teammate Caitlin Clark #22 chat on the bench against the Dallas Wings during the first half at American Airlines Center on August 1, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. Ron Jenkins, Getty Images Caitlin Clark #22 and head coach Stephanie White of the Indiana Fever share a smile on the bench before the game against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on August 03, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. Soobum Im, Getty Images Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever looks on before the game against the Dallas Wings at American Airlines Center on August 1, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. Ron Jenkins, Getty Images Sophie Cunningham #8 and Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever react from the bench in the second quarter against the Phoenix Mercury at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 30, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dylan Buell, Getty Images Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever cheers on teammates during the first half against the Dallas Wings at American Airlines Center on August 1, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. Ron Jenkins, Getty Images Soobum Im, Getty Images Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) high-fives Indiana Fever guard Sydney Colson (51) on Thursday, July 24, 2025, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Grace Hollars/IndyStar Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) looks a the referee on Thursday, July 24, 2025, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Grace Hollars/IndyStar Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) smiles before a WNBA game against the Chicago Sky at United Center. Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Injured Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts during the first half of a basketball game against the Chicago Sky at United Center. Kamil Krzaczynski, Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Injured Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts to a call against her team during the first half of a basketball game against the Chicago Sky at United Center. Kamil Krzaczynski, Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) looks on from the team bench during the first half against the Dallas Wings at the American Airlines Center. Jerome Miron, Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White and guard Caitlin Clark (22) react to a call during the first half against the Dallas Wings at the American Airlines Center. Jerome Miron, Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) during the game between the Dallas Wings and the Indiana Fever at the American Airlines Center. Jerome Miron, Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Aug 5, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) puts her arm around forward Aliyah Boston (7) in the first half against the LA Sparks at Arena. Kirby Lee, Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee, Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Newsweek
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Sophie Cunningham Reveals What Caitlin Clark Told Her After Jacy Sheldon Foul
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. It's been quite the interesting year for Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. The 28-year-old Missouri alum as traded along with Jaelyn Brown to Indiana from the Phoenix Mercury on Jan. 31 in a four-team deal that sent NaLyssa Smith to the Dallas Wings and the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 draft to the Connecticut Sun, who took NC State guard Saniya Rivers. She's missed five games this season with an ankle injury that she initially suffered during the preseason, and in May she was named accused of having an affair with Phoenix Suns and Mercury CEO Josh Bartelstein during her time with the team — an accusation she's since vehemently denied. But the incident Cunningham will likely be remembered for most this year came back on June 17 during an 88-71 victory over the Connecticut Sun. In that game, Cunningham was ejected in the final minute after grabbing Sun guard Jacy Sheldon by the head in the paint and flinging her out of bounds. The incident came not long after Sheldon was hit with a flagrant foul for poking Fever star Caitlin Clark in the eye during the third quarter. Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever pose and cheer for teammate Lexie Hull in the Kia WNBA Skills Challenge during the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star weekend at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 18,... Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever pose and cheer for teammate Lexie Hull in the Kia WNBA Skills Challenge during the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star weekend at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 18, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. MoreMore Basketball: Napheesa Collier Calls Out Alarming Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese WNBA Trend Though Sheldon drew a foul for her actions, Cunningham's retaliation was a moment many fans took as her way of saying the Fever wouldn't continue to tolerate the increased level of physicality that Clark had been getting from seemingly every opponent. During the debut episode of her new podcast "Show Me Something," which she hosts with Bravo star West Wilson, Cunningham revealed Clark's reaction to her teammate taking a stand for her. "I was [sticking up for Clark]," Cunningham stated. "But in the locker room she goes, I think she was like, 'Finally! Finally someone else [stands up for me].' I was like, 'Dude I got you.' But I think that kind of had our team come together as a whole, and it really was (awesome). I feel like everyone was like, 'We do have to protect each other.'" 'In the locker room she goes….. Finally!' Yea Sophie me too 🙌🏽 — Gaby :) (@ouatdemii) July 30, 2025 More Basketball: Giannis Antetokounmpo's Surprise Role in Mikal Bridges' $150M Knicks Payday Cunningham's viral moment has earned her a reputation as the Fever's enforcer. In addition to Cunningham's jersey selling out 24 hours after the Sheldon incident, she also admitted that her celebrity has skyrocketed as well, acknowledging the dramatic increase in her social media followers after the Sun game. "I went from 200,000 on TikTok before the fight, and then I had like 350,000 on Instagram — over the night, over a million on both," Cunningham stated. "... I've worked my whole life to become a WNBA basketball player, and now people know me as WWE. Doesn't that mean that being my natural, feisty, sassy self would put me where God wanted me."
Straits Times
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Sponsors swoop in to net new generation of WNBA fans
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever cheer prior to the Kia WNBA Skills Challenge during the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star weekend at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. INDIANAPOLIS – An onslaught of brands has descended on Indianapolis to take advantage of the WNBA's growing popularity, with new sponsors setting up shop for the All-Star weekend to meet a crush of fans. TV viewership and attendance have soared across the WNBA in recent years, buoyed by rising stars like the Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark and the Chicago Sky's Angel Reese. Fans waited upward of two-and-a-half hours on Friday for a meet-and-greet with the first overall draft pick Paige Bueckers at a booth by sponsor DoorDash at WNBA Live, an event where 25 brands hoped to capture fans' attention and dollars. 'It's about time, it's amazing,' said Gabby Mendoza, 37, a fan since the league launched in 1997. 'Probably the backing of the brands coming through is probably what's helping the exposure.' The sprawling ticketed event at the Indiana Convention Center was a far cry from the inaugural WNBA Live in 2022, when only a handful of vendors were to be found, according to fans who spoke to Reuters. The WNBA has 13 teams, with plans to add two more in 2026 in Toronto and Portland. The league recently announced it would add three more expansion franchises by 2030. In this year's All-Star Game, Team Caitlin Clark takes on Team Napheesa Collier. Marrian James, a 56-year-old Las Vegas Aces fan, has been attending All-Star Games since the showcase came to Orlando, Florida, in 2001. For Saturday's All-Star Game in Indianapolis, she shelled out US$1,000 for a ticket. 'Before, you'd have one or two vendors - we didn't have a whole lot of support,' said James. 'So now, with all the vendors, you see where the fan base has changed. We have more young people, old people - it doesn't matter, all walks of life are WNBA fans now.' A crowd 9.1m deep waited by a State Farm pavilion for star player Clark to make an appearance on Friday, while fans browsed leather purse tags with team logos inside at fashion designer Coach, one of the league's newly minted sponsors this year. AT&T, a sponsor since 2019, offered a place for fans to shoot hoops and receive applications of custom WNBA-themed nail art with robotic technology. 'This is our biggest WNBA activation, footprint, that we've ever had,' said Andrea Wilson, director for sponsorships and experiential marketing at AT&T. 'We go bigger and bigger every single year.' The 2024 WNBA season attracted record viewership on ESPN platforms, up 170% from 2023, and brands appear to have gotten the message across Indianapolis, where Coach, Nike and Gatorade took out massive advertisements around town. Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, who attended her first All-Star Game as an assistant in 2002, said the growth of the annual exhibition has created better opportunities for players. 'We're finding amazing ways to monetize their brand,' said Reeve, who will coach Team Collier on Saturday. 'It is a great space that we're in and it was very different than what it was even five years ago.' While things are positive in terms of sponsorship, labor negotiations between the WNBA and the players' union hung over the All-Star weekend. The WNBPA admonished the league after their latest meeting on Thursday, saying the WNBA had failed to 'address the priorities we've voiced from the day we opted out'. Players in October voted to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement, once seen as a landmark deal for women's sports but now viewed by many players as woefully inadequate amid the surge of popularity in the WNBA. WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said she felt the meeting was a missed opportunity. 'Yes, we're celebrating amazing growth, but I think it's not lost on us that we're living the growth as we're negotiating our worth,' she said. 'The fans know what we're worth. Now we need the league to know what we are worth.' Ogwumike added there had been no direct conversation about a work stoppage but that union leadership cautioned players over the possible outcomes of a failed negotiation. 'What we want to do is negotiate a good deal,' she said. 'But we also wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't let players know, 'Hey the league is in a different place. We're in a different place. Just be prepared for anything that can happen'.' REUTERS
The Herald Scotland
16-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
WNBA All-Star: Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu meet in 3-point contest
The 3-point contest field includes two former champions, including Ionescu, who currently holds the 3-point competition record in the WNBA or NBA after the New York Liberty star knocked down 37 of 40 3s en route to a victory in 2023. Atlanta Dream All-Star Allisha Gray made history of her own last year when she became the first player in WNBA history to sweep the skills challenge and 3-point contest in the same season. She will defend both on Friday. Here's everything you need to know about the 2025 WNBA All-Star's festivities on Friday. 2025 WNBA STARRY(R) 3-Point Contest Rhyne Howard currently leads the league in made 3s this season (56), but with Howard sidelined from All-Star activities due to a left knee injury, the door is wide open. Gray is shooting 38.9% from beyond the arc in Atlanta, which marks the highest among the five participants. Clark is shooting 28.9% from 3 this season, down from her average of 34.4% last year, and is looking to snap out of a shooting slump. She has shot 23-of-74 from the field and 6-of-35 from beyond the arc in the past five games as she's dealt with left leg injuries. The 3-point competition will feature two timed rounds with money balls (two points) and Starry balls (three points) in play. This year, players will also get to place a special "all money ball" rack, where every ball is worth two points, anywhere among the five shooting locations. The top two from the first round will go head-to-head in a final round. Here's the full list of competitors: Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum Kia WNBA Skills Challenge The WNBA Skills Challenge features a timed obstacle course consisting of bounce passes, a chest pass, a 3-point shot from the top of the arc, an elbow jumper, a corner three, an outlet pass, speed dribbles and a final shot from anywhere on the court. To make it even more challenging, the WNBA is throwing a wrench into things by placing a 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid onto the court. The top two from the first round will advance to the final round. This year's participants are: New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins Atlanta Dream Guard Allisha Gray Seattle Storm guard Erica Wheeler Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams 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.
Indianapolis Star
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Traffic updates, text alerts, public safety: What you should know ahead of WNBA All-Star 2025
WNBA All-Star Game festivities start this week, and Mayor Joe Hogsett said the top priority for city leaders is public safety. "This is a very important weekend because we have both Indiana Black Expo and the WNBA All-Star Game," Mayor Joe Hogsett said. "The chief and public safety officials in Indianapolis are pretty veteran at holding the largest single-day sporting events in all the world." Different law enforcement agencies from central Indiana and the Indiana State Police will be out throughout downtown, and IMPD has shifted staffing to make sure neighborhoods throughout the city are still being patrolled adequately. Public safety officials want attendees to be reassured that their safety at the WNBA All-Star Game and its associated events is a top priority despite public concerns after a spate of shootings and homicides in recent weeks. People can TEXT ALLSTAR25 to 67283 to opt into public safety notifications. Since summer started on June 20, there have been 22 homicides and 70 non-fatal shootings across Indianapolis. Thirty people were shot from July 4 to 6, 2025. Five people died, two of whom were teens hit during a mass shooting downtown. IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said he saw fewer kids downtown past curfew this past weekend as he worked the area himself on Friday and Saturday nights. He said he also saw fewer juveniles with firearms, a trend that he said he hopes continues. "They want what we all want to do, and they should be able to come down here and enjoy themselves, but we want them to do so in the right ways," Bailey said. "We can't control your behavior," Bailey said. "I'm asking people to come downtown and have a peaceful heart. You don't have to solve your issues with weapons, whether it's a gun or otherwise. We will enforce the law." Monument Circle: Wednesday, July 16, to Sunday, July 20 Delaware Street: Friday, July 18 For the WNBA STARRY 3-Point Contest and Kia WNBA Skills Challenge event, doors at Gainbridge Fieldhouse will open at 6:30 p.m. The event starts at 8 p.m. Delaware Street will be closed between South Street and Maryland Street from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Delaware Street: Saturday, July 19 For the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game, Gainbridge Fieldhouse doors will open at 7 p.m. with the event starting at 8:30 p.m. Delaware Street will be closed between South Street and Maryland Street from 4-11 p.m. Closed due to construction All Star Bounce: Saturday, July 19 Registration starts at 7 a.m., with the event starting at 9 a.m. at the American Legion Mall. Meridian south from the American Legion Mall to Monument Circle will be closed between 7 a.m. and noon.
