The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game: Clark, Collier And A Coaching Controversy

On Saturday, 19 July, the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game will kick-off in Indianapolis, the home of the Indiana Fever. Fans from all over the US are getting excited as the weekend also features various fan events at the Indiana Convention Center. This All-Star Weekend extravaganza will also be highlighted by a WNBA Starry 3-Point contest, as well as a KIA WNBA Skills Challenge on Friday, 18 July; aside from live music, parties, basketball art and more.

The All-Star Draft was a fun event that was not devoid of drama. Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier, designated as captains in their respective squads after taking the top 2 slots in the popular vote conducted among fans, took turns in naming players joining their respective squads. Choosing from a pool of the best players in the league, there was simply no bad choices to be made. There were no fireworks, no drama, no player-trades as both Clark and Collier expressed satisfaction with both their teams’ composition. But what stoked the interest of the growing number of WNBA fans witnessing the event was the first-ever coaching trade that headlined the Draft aired on ESPN. Team captains Clark and Collier agreed to swap coaches, with Clark taking in Liberty Coach Sandy Brondello in exchange for Coach Cheryl Reeves, who got reunited with her Lynx stars Collier and Courtney Williams. Both coaches Brondello and Reeves had earlier been selected to coach in the All-Stars for having the winningest teams in the WNBA this season.

The coaching swap was the biggest surprise in the draft. It was described as a power move by Clark, the sophomore superstar who has arguably been the main reason behind the WNBA’s meteoric rise to prominence. Some pundits believe that it was Clark’s way of hitting back, after Reeves and her Olympic staff denied her a spot in the Olympic Team last year. And this coach swap has definitely upped the ante for this All-Star exhibition. Some are trying to downplay it, but clearly, there had to be some murky waters in what transpired. At the very least, it would avoid an awkward situation, given that Reeves has been a vocal critic of Clark’s popularity and overall ability. Getting a more welcoming coach would certainly be more advantageous for Clark. On the other hand, it would also be beneficial to Collier, since the move would bring together all 3 from the Lynx bench – Coach Reeves, Collier and Williams – under 1 team, providing a cohesive advantage for Team Collier.

With that, the stage is set for the grand showdown, with varied storylines in motion. This all-star game is seen as a grudge match between the 2 contending coaches in last year’s WNBA Finals which Brondello’s New York Liberty won over Reeves’ Minnesota Lynx. That was a thrilling Best-of-5 series which went the full distance, with the deciding game going on overtime.

Both coaches have distinct styles, rubbing off on their respective players. Reeves thrives on a more stringent and structured system which Collier is so accustomed to, while Brondello seems to prefer a run-and-gun approach, which fits Clark to a tee. Reeves is a no-nonsense scrappy old-school drillmaster; while Brondy is a typical laid-back Aussie baller who loves the flashy and fun style of play. Hence, Reeves is inclined to rely on a strong frontcourt, while the flamboyant Brondello will rely on a more active and speedier backcourt, having been a superb shooter herself during her playing days.

Team Collier has more experience and more maturity among its players; while Team Clark appears younger and more into innovation and creativity. Overall, Team Collier has a total of 54 All-Star appearances among themselves, compared to only 26 appearances for the much younger Team Clark. Collier stacked her team with known veteran stars such as Unrivaled co-founder Brianna Stewart, Allysha Gray, Allysa Thomas and Kelsey Plum, though she also bagged 2 solid young stars in Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers. Clark was more adventurous, opting for an untested freshmen duo of Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron from the Washington Mystics, and late-bloomer Kayla Thornton of the expansion Golden State Valkyries, though she has Aja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu providing the needed experience.

There will be advantages and disadvantages to each drafting philosophy. Team Collier will have a stronger team on paper, but will have difficulties allocating playing minutes among its solid players. Team Clark will have a relatively weaker team, but will have a smaller core group, hence making them more cohesive. Thus, it looks like this will be a game pitting structure versus speed, maturity versus youth. It will be a battle between 2 contesting coaching philosophies, one that will play strong inside, while the other will depend on a stronger perimeter offense.

Last year’s All-Star game pitted the USA’s Olympic Team against a WNBA selection taken from the discards who did not make it to the Olympic Team. Surprisingly, despite the lack of practice, and the obvious lack of cohesion from the team, the WNBA selection – bannered by Clark and the eventual game MVP, Arike Ogunbuwale – played loose, and deflated Team USA. This humbled Team USA squad would eventually vindicate itself by bagging the gold medal in the Olympics.

This year, the fight will pit the old with the new. It should tell us if we’re now up in a new era in women’s basketball; or if we’re still in the tail end of the old one. Perhaps, next year’s All-Star Game will pit stars 5 years in the league or more, against those 4 years or less. The Old WNBA versus the New WNBA. The established stars versus the upstarts. Different strokes, different styles. A fresh new format. It should be a dandy.

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