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Caitlin Clark Sends Clear Message to WNBA All-Star on Sunday
© Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Indiana Fever enter Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Aces with a 6-6 record, good for third place in the Eastern Conference. 

They've endured an up-and-down start to the year that has featured five losses by single digits and two double-digit blowout wins over the Chicago Sky and a commanding 102-88 victory against the defending champion New York Liberty (10-2) on June 14.

Las Vegas, meanwhile, has also struggled to find consistency, holding a 5-7 record through 12 games, sitting just below .500 after capturing back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023. 

Ahead of the big clash, Fever star Caitlin Clark was asked about the impact of Aces All-Star center A'ja Wilson. 

She responded, "I think she just plays with an energy and a tenacity about her that really affects her team. And that’s probably, as a competitor, what I appreciate the most is when she’s on the floor, it’s completely different. ... So I think it’s that and just the competitive spirit she brings for her team."

Drafted first overall in 2024, Caitlin Clark made an immediate impact in her rookie season, earning Rookie of the Year, All-Star and All-WNBA honors. 

In her second campaign, she has continued to shoulder Indiana’s offense, averaging 19.9 points, 8.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

On the other end, you have Wilson, a three-time MVP, six-time All-Star, two-time Defensive Player of the Year and two-time champion.

At 28 years old, she remains one of the league's elite veterans and the cornerstone of the Aces’ title hopes.

This season, she's averaged 20.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.7 blocks and 2.0 steals across nine games.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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Author of Caitlin Clark Book Has Words For ESPN After 'Misleading' Post
WNBA

Author of Caitlin Clark Book Has Words For ESPN After 'Misleading' Post

Sports journalist and author Christine Brennan is pushing back against ESPN’s recent claim that the 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend had “historic” viewership. Brennan, who wrote “On Her Game: Caitlin Clark” and the “Revolution in Women’s Sports,” took to social media to correct what she called a “misleading” statement. Brennan responded directly to ESPN’s post on X, which celebrated the weekend’s TV numbers. The network boasted that the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest drew an average of 1.3 million viewers, calling it “historic.” But Brennan pointed out that the main event — the All-Star Game — did not reach last year’s record-breaking viewership. “Why does ESPN PR continue to mislead its followers?” Brennan wrote. “The 2025 All-Star Game viewership was not historic. It was a huge drop from last year. In 2024, 3.44 million watched when Caitlin Clark played in the game. This year, with Clark injured, viewership plummeted to 2.2 million.” The drop was significant. Last year’s game, which featured Clark in her first All-Star appearance, shattered WNBA records. This year’s game, though still the most-watched program in its time slot, saw a steep decline in numbers. Clark, who has missed multiple games this season due to injury, was forced to sit out of the 2025 All-Star Game with a groin strain. Though she attended the event courtside and even assisted in coaching, her absence on the court clearly impacted fan interest. The WNBA had high hopes for the weekend in Indianapolis, Clark’s home court. She was originally set to compete in the 3-point contest and serve as team captain. But her injury changed those plans just days before tip-off. While ESPN highlighted the 1.3 million average viewers for the skills contests as a major win — citing a 100% increase over the previous year — critics like Brennan argue that those numbers don’t tell the full story. Clark’s pro career has been closely followed since her record-shattering college days at Iowa. She continues to draw massive attention, whether playing or not, and is a central figure in discussions around WNBA growth and visibility. As the season moves forward, Clark remains a major driver of audience interest — and those covering the sport are watching the numbers closely.

Is Giants' Joe Schoen already having second thoughts about Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders decision?
NFL

Is Giants' Joe Schoen already having second thoughts about Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders decision?

The New York Giants were routinely linked with quarterback Shedeur Sanders leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, but the Giants ultimately traded back into the first round to select Ole Miss signal-caller Jaxson Dart at pick No. 25. For a piece published on Monday, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News revisited how Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll ended up with Dart instead of Sanders earlier this year. "Members of the Giants’ staff had fawned over Shedeur Sanders," Leonard wrote. "Giants brass had spent a lot more time with Sanders during the fall. Then, Daboll’s increased participation after the NFL season steered the process in a different direction." Sanders allegedly had a rough visit with Daboll ahead of the draft, and a report from early May revealed that "Sanders openly acknowledged during the predraft process that he didn't hit it off with Giants coaches." A different story claimed that Schoen "shifted his preference to Dart this spring as head coach Brian Daboll warmed to Dart as a player and person and Schoen rounded out his own evaluation" before the draft got underway. That said, Schoen raised some eyebrows when he said during a May interview that he knew the club would select Dart over Sanders as of "the week of the draft." Schoen also said the decision was the result of a "collaborative process." According to Leonard, those comments were seen by some as "not exactly a firm endorsement of a player standing out above the rest" as it pertains to the quarterbacks. "...Schoen’s lukewarm rhetoric and reluctance to stick his neck out about Dart caught the attention of some people around the league," Leonard added. "And it has put the rookie in a strange position: trying to validate support that almost sounds conditional." Meanwhile, Sanders fell to the draft's fifth round before the Cleveland Browns traded up to grab him at selection No. 144. As of Monday afternoon, FanDuel Sportsbook had Sanders (+870 odds) and Dart (+1060 odds) as significant betting underdogs to serve as Week 1 starters in September. Cleveland is expected to go with Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett for its regular-season opener, while Russell Wilson is on track to start for the Giants against the Washington Commanders on Sept. 7. In short, fans may have to wait a long time to learn if Schoen has any buyer's remorse about possibly being talked into drafting Dart when Sanders was on the board.

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NHL

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Knicks Predicted to Part Ways With Karl-Anthony Towns in Blockbuster Three-Team Trade
NBA

Knicks Predicted to Part Ways With Karl-Anthony Towns in Blockbuster Three-Team Trade

The New York Knicks are looking to make more moves to upgrade their depth as they figure to be one of the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference next season. Of course, the Knicks made their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000 last season and with the amount of injuries to top players in the East, the Conference is wide open entering next season. Because of this, the Knicks have emerged as one of the favorites to win the East thanks to their core led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Despite this, Sports Illustrated’s Jackson Caudell and Rohan Raman recently created a three-team mock trade that would see the Knicks move on from Towns. In the trade, the Knicks would add Jrue Holiday, Robert Williams III and a 2028 first-round pick via the Portland Trail Blazers while they would send Towns and Pacome Dadiet to Portland. The Trail Blazers would also send Duop Reath to the Atlanta Hawks in this proposed mock trade. While the Knicks are looking at ways to improve their depth, moving on from Towns would be a tough decision for them to make despite his struggles, especially on the defensive side, during the playoffs last season. It would also be a tough decision to swap Towns for Williams III due to his injury history, especially with Mitchell Robinson’s injury history as well and the Knicks’ lack of true center depth. While that may be the case, adding a veteran point guard in Holiday to the second unit could be a good addition to the Knicks’ bench and Williams III would also give them more size. Despite this, it is highly unlikely that the Knicks will move on from Towns this summer and likely into next season as they see their core being able to help them compete for a championship next season.

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