Caitlin Clark to miss WNBA All-Star Game due to injury
INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark’s face is featured all around the city of Indianapolis this week — from the airport to the arena to the side of hotels — with the city hosting the 2025 WNBA All-Star game. The one place you won’t see her, however, is playing on the court inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Indiana Fever star announced Thursday afternoon she will not participate in Saturday’s game or Friday’s 3-point contest after aggravating a right groin injury Tuesday. She left the 85-77 win against the Connecticut Sun late in the fourth quarter after tossing an assist. The reigning rookie of the year was ruled out against the New York Liberty on Wednesday night.
“I am incredibly sad and disappointed to say I can’t participate in the 3-point Contest or the All-Star Game,” Clark wrote in a post on the Fever’s social media accounts. “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.”
Clark was named a team captain along with Napheesa Collier and the pair drafted the two rosters. This has been a challenging sophomore campaign as Clark has missed 10 games to injuries to her left groin, right groin and left quad. She had never missed a collegiate or professional game before this season.
Clark struggled to regain her form when she returned from a late-May injury, and her numbers are down in points per game (16.5), shooting percentage (36.7) and 3-point percentage (27.9) She led the league in assists and 3-point field goals in 2024 and finished No. 7 in points per game (19.2).
Fever coach Stephanie White said Wednesday the team would prioritize her long-term health. The team sits sixth in the WNBA standings with a 12-11 record.
Clark is the third player to announce she will not participate. Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard suffered a knee injury that will keep her out the rest of July, and she was replaced by Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride. Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally, who was voted a starter, announced she would not play because of an ankle injury that has sidelined her since July 3. She still planned to be in Indianapolis on Thursday to take part in the collective bargaining negotiations between the league and the WNBPA.
“Over the past two weeks, I’ve been working around the clock to rehab my body from injury with two goals,” Sabally posted on her Instagram account, “to return to the court with my Mercury sisters as soon as possible, and to be able to participate as a starter in the All Star game.
“Unfortunately, my body still needs more time to recover and I am unable to suit up and play in this weekend’s game.”