Caitlin Clark did not play in the Indiana Fever’s last game against the Los Angeles Sparks. The idea was to give her that extra number of days of rest so that she can recover completely before returning to the court.
Her health has become an increasingly important topic during this WNBA season. The first quad strain cost her five games. More importantly, it cost the league a 50% reduction in viewership numbers across all teams.
It is unclear if her second injury, a groin injury, has had a similar impact, but it is possible that some viewers have stayed away. The Fever are preferring to get their star point guard back in the pink of health and not rush her.
It is imperative that Caitlin Clark is healthy for the All-Star weekend set to take place next weekend. She is, after all, the Eastern Conference’s captain and her record-breaking fan votes clearly suggest she is the most indispensable draw.
The draft to decide the respective conference teams will happen later. Ahead of it, Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika assembled their versions of the best All-Star teams while on iHeart Women’s Sports podcast.
.@airswoopes22 and I had a little fun and put on our captain’s hats✨
— Terrika (@SheKnowsSports) July 7, 2025
Sheryl picked first for Team CC and I went full Team Phee. Now it’s YOUR turn to play judge. ️ Who drafted the better squad?
Tap in for more ASG convo on Thursday’s pod! @iHRWomensSports #WNBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/kiSguLqXVi
Swoopes, who fans believe does not appreciate Caitlin Clark, ended up creating a star-studded team. It featured A’ja Wilson, Aaliyah Boston, Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, Kelsey Mitchell, Skylar Diggins, Gabby Williams, Kiki Iriafen, Kayla Thornton, and Sonia Citron.
This team screams ‘Dream Team’. Even the reserves are top-notch and could give Napheesa Collier‘s UConn dominant ‘Team Phee’ a run for their money, come July 19th. It set off tongues wagging, and fans hope Clark refers to Swoopes’ list while picking players.
Clark is the definitive point guard for the Indiana Fever. That means the offense flows through her, and she has to constantly set up her teammates to help them get into scoring positions. However, that places a massive load on a player.
The 23-year-old made her name in college as an outstanding scorer. For that to happen, she has to get off the ball at times to both, conserve her energy, as well as to get into scoring positions off passes from her teammates.
With the Fever, she is always on the ball. ESPN’s Carolyn Peck referred to it as the reason the Fever struggle to move around freely. Many felt it was a suggestion that Clark was holding the team back, but instead, it was merely a suggestion that the team needed a mix of plays.
Enter Aari McDonald, who has been a sensation since she landed in Indianapolis. She is a point guard and was instrumental in helping the Fever win the Commissioner’s Cup, as well as to embarrass the Las Vegas Aces.
Some Aari McDonald at point and CC off-ball actions: pic.twitter.com/I7isFaNjR2
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) July 7, 2025
It seems all those suggestions have reached head coach Stephanie White , who set up drills where McDonald was the playmaker and Clark came off the ball to score. If this scheme gets the superstar open for her long-range threes, the league might be in trouble.
Before Caitlin Clark suffered her first injury, ticket prices to the first game between the Dallas Wings and the Indiana Fever were the most expensive in the league. The demand forced the Dallas Wings to shift the game to the larger American Airlines Center.
That highly-anticipated clash drew top NBA stars and other celebrities’ courtside, but they only saw Clark sitting on the Fever bench while Paige Bueckers had a great game. That seemingly has spurned demands for tickets to their next game in Dallas.
The Fever vs. Wings matchup has been moved to the American Airlines Center with a capacity of 20,000 pic.twitter.com/LvopHsFGC8
— espnW (@espnW) July 7, 2025
The demand has forced the Wings to lease out the Dallas Mavericks’ home arena for their August 1st showdown. If Clark is healthy, expect prices for that game to also reach dizzying heights. Fans have been eagerly waiting for the two No. 1 overall picks to battle against each other.
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