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Caitlin Clark has changed women’s sports forever

USA TODAY Sports Columnist Christine Brennan chronicles the explosive growth of Caitlin Clark’s popularity in her new book “On Her Game.”

The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game is scheduled for Saturday, July 19, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana’s Caitlin Clark and Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier got the most All-Star votes, making them captains to choose their squads.

Three players from the host Indiana Fever, Seattle Storm, Minnesota Lynx, Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics earned spots, with two each from the Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty, and Phoenix Mercury.

Three rookies made the All-Star Game, two of them from the Mystics.

Powerhouse college programs are well-represented, with four former UConn and Notre Dame players, and three from South Carolina.

Clark proposed a coach trade, taking New York’s Sandy Brondello and giving Collier her Minnesota Lynx coach, Cheryl Reeve. Collier agreed.

Clark turned down a proposed trade of her first pick — her Fever teammate Aliyah Boston — for Collier’s first pick, Breanna Stewart.

Meet the 2025 WNBA All-Stars

**-team captain; *-starter

Team Clark

Team: Indiana Fever

College: Iowa

WNBA experience: 2nd season

All-Star appearances: 2nd appearance

2025 stats: 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, 5.0 rebounds

Doubling (and occasionally tripling) up: Clark has 20 career double-doubles and three triple-doubles.

Team: Indiana Fever

College: South Carolina

WNBA experience: 3rd season

All-Star appearances: 3rd appearance

2025 stats: 16.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.1 blocked shots

Already a leader: Though just in her third season, Boston already ranks in the top 5 all-time on the Fever’s rebounding and blocked shots lists.

Team: New York Liberty

College: Oregon

WNBA experience: 6th season

All-Star appearances: 4th appearance

2025 stats: 18.8 points, 5.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals

She’s a Raiders fan: Ionescu is married to Las Vegas Raiders center Hroniss Grasu. Both went to Oregon, but at different times, and they met at an alumni event. She is in Friday night’s 3-point contest.

Team: Las Vegas Aces

College: South Carolina

WNBA experience: 8th season

All-Star appearances: 7th appearance

2025 stats: 21.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 2.4 blocked shots

Birth of a look: Early in her WNBA career, Wilson had an issue getting her left leg warmed up and ready to go. She eventually decided on wearing a sleeve only on her left leg. It has become her signature look and something of a trend, and her branded one-leg tight is available from Nike.

Team: Phoenix Mercury

College: Oregon

WNBA experience: 6th season

All-Star appearances: 3rd appearance

2025 stats: 19.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals

Sister, sister: Satou Sabally’s younger sister, Nyara, plays for the New York Liberty. Both graduated from high schools in Germany and attended Oregon.

Team: Indiana Fever

College: Ohio State

WNBA experience: 8th season

All-Star appearances: 3rd appearance

2025 stats: 19.3 points, 36.4% 3-pointers

Record holder: Mitchell has 607 career 3-pointers, recently passing Tamika Catchings (606) for the Fever’s all-time lead.

Team: Seattle Storm

College: Connecticut

WNBA experience: 7th season

All-Star appearances: 1st appearance

2025 stats: 13.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.5 steals

‘French Army Knife’: Williams has extended family in France and has represented that nation twice in the Olympics.

Team: Washington Mystics

College: Notre Dame

WNBA experience: Rookie

All-Star appearances: 1st

2025 stats: 14.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 36.5% 3-pointers

Adapting quickly: Citron was a four-year starter for Notre Dame, at least 30 minutes a game over four years. She was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. She is in Friday night’s 3-point contest.

Team: Washington Mystics

Colleges: Stanford, USC

WNBA experience: Rookie

All-Star appearances: 1st appearance

2025 stats: 11.9 points, 8.5 rebounds

Switch in her final year: Iriafen played three years at Stanford and one at USC, earning third-team All-America honors with the Trojans.

Team: Las Vegas Aces

College: Notre Dame

WNBA experience: 7th season

All-Star appearances: 4th appearance

2025 stats: 17.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists

In 49 states, it’s just basketball: Young holds a heralded record in Indiana, scoring 3,268 career points for Princeton High School, the career most for a girl or a boy. She led the Tigers to a state championship her junior season.

Team: Golden State Valkyries

College: UTEP

WNBA experience: 10th season

All-Star appearances: 1st appearance

2025 stats: 14.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals

Expanding the league, expanding her game: Thornton was considered a reliable role player her first nine WNBA seasons with three teams, but she’s the star of the expansion Valkyries.

Team: Washington Mystics

College: Syracuse

WNBA experience: 9th season

All-Star appearances: 1st

2025 stats: 17.1 points, 4.4 assists

She’s a pest: Sykes has made a WNBA All-Defensive team four times.

Team: Atlanta Dream

College: Maryland

WNBA experience: 9th season

All-Star appearances: 4th appearance

2025 stats: 13.4 points, 7.8 rebounds

She’s an award winner: Jones was named WNBA Most Improved Player in 2021 and Sixth Player of the Year in ’22. She made the All-Star Game each of those seasons.

Team Collier

Team: Dallas Wings

College: Connecticut

WNBA experience: Rookie

All-Star appearances: First

2025 stats: 18.3 points, 5.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals

Immediate impact: Bueckers earned Rookie of the Month honors in June, averaging 21.6 points, 5.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals over seven games.

Team: Atlanta Dream

Colleges: North Carolina, South Carolina

WNBA experience: 9th season

All-Star appearances: 3rd appearance

2025 stats: 18.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 38.9% 3-pointers

Living her Dream: Gray was the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for May and June. She is in Friday night’s 3-point contest and skills competition.

Team: Minnesota Lynx

College: Connecticut

WNBA experience: 7th season

All-Star appearances: 5th appearance

2025 stats: 23.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.6 blocked shots

Not just an offensive threat: Collier has earned WNBA All-Defense honors three times and was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2024.

Team: New York Liberty

College: Connecticut

WNBA experience: 9th season

All-Star appearances: 7th appearance

2025 stats: 19.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 1.3 blocked shots

At her best when it counts most: On top of winning league MVP twice (2018, ’23), she has been WNBA Finals MVP twice (’18, ’20).

Team: Seattle Storm

College: Stanford

WNBA experience: 14th season

All-Star appearances: 10th appearance

2025 stats: 16.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals

Off the court star, too: Ogwumike has won the league’s Community Assist Award twice and its Sportsmanship Award three times.

Team: Seattle Storm

College: Notre Dame

WNBA experience: 11th season

All-Star appearances: 7th appearance

2025 stats: 17.9 points, 5.8 assists, 40% 3-pointers

Oh, momma: It’s rare for WNBA players to return to the court, much less star, after having two children. Diggins has a son and a daughter. “I don’t know what 100% is for this body. I tell my coaches, this is my third body,” she joked in 2024. She is in Friday night’s skills competition.

Team: Atlanta Dream

College: Kentucky

WNBA experience: 4th season

All-Star appearances: 3rd appearance

2025 stats: 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.6 steals

Star in the Bluegrass State: Howard was a three-time first-team All-American performer for Kentucky.

Team: Minnesota Lynx

College: Notre Dame

WNBA experience: 11th season

All-Star appearances: 5th appearance

2025 stats: 14.1 points, 3.1 assists, 37.9% 3-pointers

Filling in: McBride, who helping the Fighting Irish to four Final Fours during her college career, was a late addition to the All-Star Game after Rhyne Howard had to pull out with injury.

Team: Los Angeles Sparks

College: Washington

WNBA experience: 8th season

All-Star appearances: 4th appearance

2025 stats: 20.1 points, 5.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 35.8% 3-pointers

Big deal: Plum played her first seven seasons for the San Antonio Stars/Las Vegas Aces franchise, but was part of a six-team trade before the 2025 season. She is in Friday night’s 3-point contest.

Team: Chicago Sky

Colleges: Maryland, LSU

WNBA experience: 2nd season

All-Star appearances: 2nd appearance

2025 stats: 14.0 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists

Board work: Reese leads the WNBA in rebounding by more than 3 per game over second place A’ja Wilson. She has 41 career double-doubles and 1 triple-double.

Team: Phoenix Mercury

College: Maryland

WNBA experience: 12th season

All-Star appearances: 6th appearance

2025 stats: 15.4 points, 9.6 assists, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals

Triple threat: Thomas has 16 career triple-doubles, regular season and playoffs, more than one-third of the 45 in league history.

Team: Minnesota Lynx

College: South Florida

WNBA experience: 10th season

All-Star appearances: 2nd appearance

2025 stats: 14.1 points, 6.0 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 37% 3-pointers

Well-traveled: Williams is in her second season with the Lynx, her fifth team. She was a 2021 All-Star with Atlanta. She is in Friday night’s skills competition.

When is the WNBA All-Star Game?

8:30 p.m. ET Saturday, July 19, 2025

Where is the WNBA All-Star Game?

Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis

Where can I watch the WNBA All-Star Game?

ABC

WNBA All-Star Game stream

Disney+, ESPN+

Watch WNBA action with a free Fubo trial

WNBA All-Star Game tickets

Check WNBA All-Star Game ticket availability on StubHub

WNBA All-Star Game skills challenge participants

8 p.m. ET Friday, July 18, ESPN: Natasha Cloud, New York Liberty; Skylar Diggins, Seattle Storm; Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream; Erica Wheeler, Seattle Storm; Courtney Williams, Minnesota Lynx

WNBA All-Star Game 3-point shootout participants

8 p.m. ET Friday, July 18, ESPN: Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics; Lexie Hull, Indiana Fever (replacing Caitlin Clark); Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream; Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty; Kelsey Plum, Los Angels Sparks