Caitlin Clark will miss both the WNBA All-Star Game and 3-Point Contest after injuring her groin earlier this week.
Clark, 23, confirmed the news in a statement shared via the Indiana Fever’s Instagram account on Thursday, July 17. “I’m so excited for Indy to host WNBA All-Star this weekend,” the Fever guard began. “I want to thank the Indianapolis Host Committee and all of the people that have put endless work in over the past year to put this event together. I know this will be the best All-Star yet.”
She continued, “I am incredibly sad and disappointed to say I can’t participate in the 3-Point contest or the All-Star Game. I have to rest my body. I will still be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for all the action and I’m looking forward to helping Sandy [Brondello] coach our team to a win.”
Earlier this month, Clark was named as one of two team captains in the All-Star Game, which will take place in Indianapolis on Saturday, July 19. She was set to lead the team coached by Brondello, who is the head coach of the New York Liberty. Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier will lead the other team with Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve.
The WNBA was steadily trending up in popularity before Caitlin Clark entered the league, but since she debuted in 2024 with the Indiana Fever, that growth has gone into overdrive. Clark’s rabid fanbase is at the center of the WNBA’s rise, and one of the pioneers of women’s basketball had a message for them. “I […]
After Clark’s announcement, the WNBA announced that Washington Mystics guard Brittney Sykes will replace Clark on the All-Star team. A replacement player for the 3-Point Contest has not been confirmed.
Clark has spent much of her second WNBA season dealing with injuries, missing her 10th game this year during the Fever’s Wednesday, July 16, loss to the Liberty. In May, she suffered a left quad injury that caused her to miss five games. That was followed one month later by a left groin injury that led to her missing four games.
Most recently, she suffered a right groin injury during the Fever’s Tuesday, July 15, game against the Connecticut Sun. She was eventually ruled out for the Fever’s Wednesday game after undergoing imaging to determine the extent of the injury.
Frequent injuries have been a hot topic in the WNBA as players are in the midst of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the league. This year marked the expansion of the season from 40 games to 44 within the same time period, meaning that athletes are playing more games with fewer rest days.
“If [WNBA commissioner] Cathy [Engelbert] keeps adding more games in this short stint of time, the injuries are going to continue to go up,” Liberty guard Natasha Cloud told reporters in June. “When you talk about a big business and the overall protection of your investment, we are the investment as players. Your job is to protect us.”
Prior to Clark’s announcement, several other players had already been ruled out of the All-Star Game, including the Phoenix Mercury’s Satou Sabally and the Atlanta Dream’s Rhyne Howard. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is also in danger of missing the game after a leg injury forced her to sit out her team’s Wednesday matchup against the Dream.
The WNBA All-Star game will air on ABC Saturday, July 19, at 8:30 p.m. ET.
