“This has been a year to forget.” Caitlin Clark may not have said this out loud…But I bet every dollar I have that she has had this thought at least once. Having missed more than 10 games in a season plagued with inconsistency for the Indiana Fever, this season hasn’t served Clark the way she had envisioned. However, what’s more heartbreaking is the distinct possibility that the star may miss the All-Star Game, too. And let’s just say, fans are hardly amused at the prospect.

Notably, sidelined ahead of the team’s New York Liberty clash with a new groin injury sustained on Tuesday night, what turned heads was head coach Stephanie White’s statements. When asked about Clark’s All-Star weekend availability, the coach initially said, “No discussion yet about this weekend. There was imaging done, and, obviously, we’re ruling her out for tonight, but there hasn’t been any discussion beyond tonight.” 

However, White also doubled down with, “Caitlin and her team will make decisions when it comes to All-Star. The big picture is the most important — for her health and wellness, long term and for our team. And we’ve been very slow in making sure that every time she comes back that she’s ready. So, we’ll continue to approach it like that. I mean, long term is the most important.” So, think about it for a moment: If the Fever were to choose between one appearance at the All-Star game vs a prolonged presence on the court for the team vying for a championship, which one would they choose? Well, it doesn’t take a genius to guess. Yet, spirits are high among the Fevers, and apparently among their social media team as well—drawing ire from fans.

On July 15, the Indiana Fever’s official X handle decided to share a picture of the All-Star game court, captioned, “she’s a beaut 😍 here’s your first look at the #WNBAAllStar2025 court! 😮‍💨”. This is the first time that the city of Indianapolis is hosting a WNBA All-Star event. And the preparation for this event, to put it simply, has been unreal. The city has been dolled up weeks ahead of the event. In fact, Nike shared two larger-than-life posters a couple of weeks ago.

The aerial image featured in the tweet showed a basketball court painted in the typical orange and blue colors of the Fever, with an All-Star banner hanging right above the hardwood, catching the attention of players and spectators. The court sure looked ready to welcome the stars. But fans? Well, they were not impressed.

According to fans, the Fever and the city should not post anything positive on social media because the darling of W is injured.

Fans break their silence on the First-Look of All-Star court

“Your girls are being assaulted, and you bring this up… Bad timing…” A user commented under the poster that was shared by the Indiana Fever account. This was seemingly in reference to the body checks and elbows to the face that Indiana players received in the last few games.

Concerned about the Indiana Fever star and the captain of the upcoming All-Star games, one user wrote, “It’s not what matters. What matters is Caitlin. We care about Caitlin Clark.” So do we all, pal.

Several fans raised concerns for the upcoming game and extended support for the athlete. “What’s beauty in it if CC won’t be able to participate because of injury?” Currently placed under a game-time decision or a GTD, Clark’s playing status ahead of the All-star game stands questionable.

“If CC is out…hard pass. This on the @wnba letting the fever, not just CC, get hammered night after night. Sophie gets an elbow to the head? She flopped. AB gets hammered in the head? No review. CC gets assaulted on every drive? No call. Play basketball not rugby.” This guy is going all g— blazing, ain’t he? Although it is a bit of a stretch to equate Clark’s situation to rugby fouls, the sentiment behind this statement is quite understandable.

Meanwhile, another user blamed the league for their unequivocally biased treatment against he 2024 ROTY. They even called out the league after the Fever locker room faced brutal physicality at the behest of the Connecticut Sun. Again. “Shame that the W only pays refs $1k/game (LESS THAN college!!!) and bc of this poor quality, the star player is going to be out hurt. Amazed AB doesn’t have a concussion from being punched in the face. Oh, & Sophie being body checked out of bounds. This league is so unserious.”

It’s fair to assume from these comments that the Indiana fans are not exactly pleased with the current predicament of Caitlin Clark. Regardless, this will be a superstar-filled night, even with the possible absence of CC, with stars like Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, Napheesa Collier, and many more ready to team up and fight it out in this battle of ages. Stay tuned and do not miss any updates!