We’re inching towards the All-Star Weekend, and injuries are playing a larger-than-life role in how everything is going. Even Caitlin Clark, a newly crowned All-Star Captain, has been dealing with her fair share of injuries. First, it was her left quad, and now? A groin issue that has kept her out for five straight games. Every day that Clark spends off the court feels like an eternity for WNBA fans, and let’s not forget what kind of implications it has on the league as a whole.

Luckily, she’s on the mend! The six-foot-tall point guard is taking the court against the Valkyries on Wednesday. Moreover, she recently drafted her team for the All-Star Weekend, and it’s looking like an army. A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, the list just doesn’t end! But what was the drafting process like for Clark as a first-time Captain?

Well, the Indiana Fever star talked about it ahead of the Fever vs Valks game. “It was really fun, honestly. I got a great team. I mean, two of my starters are injured at the moment, but I’m praying they heal up for the game or else we might have a little bit of trouble.” She said during the pre-game media availability. Two of her picks, A’ja Wilson and Satou Sabally, aren’t in the best of conditions, as they’re both dealing with a wrist and ankle injury, respectively.

And as for her mindset behind picking her team? “I thought I got a well-balanced team. I tried to go for some of the younger players that might want to go up and down and run a little bit more.” She said, which is smart considering her up-tempo style of play and facilitation.

Caitlin Clark spent a lot of time thinking about and rationalizing the picks that she made, and it will be interesting to see whether her team can beat seasoned vet Napheesa Collier and her gang. But there was one key moment during the ASW draft that caught the eyes and ears of WNBA fans–Clark choosing to draft Sabally over Bueckers. Let’s find out what the rationale behind that was.

Caitlin Clark reveals the reason for overlooking star Dallas rookie

The careers of Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers have run in parallel ever since their college days. Even though the timeline got thrown off a little because of Bueckers’ red-shirt year, we’re seeing them compete on the biggest stage possible now. And let’s be honest, we knew how this would turn out! Caitlin Clark has turned into a household name, and her Dallas counterpart? Not that far off.

But during this year’s All-Star game draft, Caitlin Clark had a very important decision to make between Paige Bueckers and Satou Sabally. In the end, she chose to go with the Phoenix star, dividing fans and popular opinion.

However, Caitlin Clark made sure to clarify that it’s all love between her and Bueckers. It turns out, there was a huge strategic advantage to drafting Sabally.  “They are both amazing, obviously. Taking Paige puts at a size disadvantage with me, Paige, and Sabrina. So I’ll let Phee win this one. I will take Satou. Satou has had a great year.” 

Although fans have been denied the dream pairing of Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark, we’re still gonna see some amazing action during All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. It will be interesting to see which captain drafted the better team, and how all these stars will fit together when they hit crunch time. Stay tuned for some exciting action!