Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. David Butler II-Imagn Images

Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark injuries threaten to dim WNBA All-Star weekend

By Eric Smithling | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 12:32 PM ET

The WNBA's upcoming All-Star weekend could be without two of the game's brightest young stars.

On Tuesday, Indiana Fever point guard Caitlin Clark appeared to suffer a groin injury in the final minute of an 85-77 win over the Connecticut Sun, leaving her status for Friday's three-point contest and Saturday's All-Star Game in doubt.

Less than 24 hours later, the Chicago Sky announced forward Angel Reese (leg) was being held out of their final game before the All-Star break, a 12 p.m. Wednesday home game against the Atlanta Dream (12-9).

today’s game status report. @UChicagoMed | #skytown pic.twitter.com/ZF3A1Y6Thd
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) July 16, 2025

Sky reporter Karli Bell shared that head coach Tyler Marsh described Reese's absence as "precautionary," but her availability for the mid-season exhibition game will be worth monitoring.

Marsh: "Angel's more precautionary. "Ariel is still day-to-day."
— Karli Bell (@KarliBell33) July 16, 2025

Clark has been a ratings gold mine for the WNBA, but her injury threatens to eat into this weekend's viewership.

As Sports Business Journal reported on Wednesday, league viewership is up nine percent from this time last year.

"Games across ESPN networks (including ABC) are averaging 1.3 million viewers," SBJ noted, adding that a recent game between the Fever and Dallas Wings, who feature 2025 No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers, drew 2.1 million viewers, the fourth-largest audience for an ABC WNBA broadcast.

While she captivates the largest audience, the league's surge in popularity isn't restricted solely to Clark and the Fever.

SBJ also shared that a recent Las Vegas Aces-New York Liberty game drew the largest non-Clark/Fever audience for a WNBA game on ESPN since 1999, while ESPN Research VP Flora Kelly revealed Reese's Sky are the site's third-most popular WNBA team.

As two of the league's most popular and marketable stars, Clark and Reese have been crucial to driving its growth.

With both battling injuries, the 2025 All-Star Game could be in danger of losing a large swath of its potential audience.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

More must-reads: