“She’s the women’s Steph Curry — she can shoot it better than me.” When Luka Dončić said that, heads turned. And he’s not the only one—Skip Bayless and Paul Pierce both see Caitlin Clark as a game-changer, bringing Steph-level range and swagger to women’s basketball. Now, a four-time WNBA champion is throwing down a challenge: stop waiting on the NBA and start shaking up the women’s league. But what exactly is she demanding? That’s where it gets intriguing…

After the NBA admitted it couldn’t “raise the bar” following Steph Curry’s legendary three-point duel with Sabrina Ionescu, WNBA icon Cynthia Cooper stepped into the spotlight. Speaking on the All The Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Cooper called for something fans have been craving—a real showdown between Sabrina Ionescu and Caitlin Clark at the WNBA All-Star Game.

According to a post on X  by a CC fan account, Cooper had this to say: “So many people talked about Sabrina and Steph with that 3-point shooting contest. You know what I wanna see in the WNBA All-Star Game? I wanna see Sabrina Ionescu shoot against Caitlin Clark. I wanna see THAT 3-point shooting contest.”

With Ionescu’s career 36.4% from deep and Clark already averaging more threes per game (3.0 to Sabrina’s 2.8), the matchup writes itself. Statistically and stylistically, they’re the perfect foil — Ionescu with her smooth, methodical stroke and Clark with her logo-launching bravado. While Sabrina has knocked down 379 two-pointers at a 36.4% clip in her career, Clark was busy redefining deep shooting, boasting a 34.4% three-point percentage but with a higher volume and jaw-dropping range. The entertainment factor? Off the charts.

The NBA knew this too. Their grand vision for the 2025 All-Star Weekend in San Francisco was to bottle lightning twice — build on the viral Curry-Ionescu shootout and expand it into a marquee 2-on-2 event. Imagine this: Steph, Klay, Sabrina, and Caitlin Clark sharing the floor in a made-for-social-media spectacle. But Clark had other plans. Declining the NBA’s invite, she chose to make her professional three-point contest debut in Indianapolis, at the WNBA All-Star Weekend, in front of her home crowd. Her camp made it clear: “Caitlin will not be at NBA All-Star.”

With Clark out, the NBA admitted defeat. “We weren’t able to land on a plan we thought would raise the bar,” said spokesman Mike Bass. Without Clark’s star power, the NBA shelved the idea, shifting focus to other All-Star events.

But here’s where it gets interesting. If the NBA couldn’t make Steph vs. Clark happen, why can’t the WNBA go with Sab vs Clark?

Caitlin Clark’s Future: From Court Star to GM

And while Clark vs. Sabrina seems to be a thing for the future, Caitlin Clark already has her future profession planned out. During a playful team Q&A covered by Sports Illustrated, when asked what she’d do if not playing basketball, teammate Aliyah Boston guessed sports broadcasting.

Clark quickly shut that down, saying, “Definitely not. I don’t want to do that.” Instead, she revealed a different ambition: “Maybe I’ll be up in a suite, like a general manager or something fun like that.” Her sights are clearly set on leadership roles off the court.

When David Letterman brought up Tom Brady’s $375 million broadcasting deal to highlight the appeal of media careers, Clark wasn’t impressed. “That paycheck is pretty nice,” she said, “but he owns the Raiders—that’s not too bad. He’s just doing it all.” For Clark, ownership and influence clearly outweigh the broadcasting spotlight.

And considering the impact she’s had on the sport, here’s a clear example: WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert confirmed Clark’s unique impact during an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast, calling her “the most popular athlete in America.” This goes beyond empty praise — the Indiana Fever will be featured in 41 nationally televised games this season, more than the reigning champion New York Liberty.

After Clark’s record-breaking rookie season viewership, the Fever secured a direct-to-consumer streaming partnership with Endeavor, capitalizing on her ability to bring tens of millions of new fans to the WNBA.

Engelbert also emphasized the balance required in the league, praising stars like A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Napheesa Collier. Yet, when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Engelbert talk, it’s clear Clark’s popularity is extraordinary, reshaping the sports landscape far beyond basketball.