Ah, the universal coach itch: that urge to toss the clipboard, lace ’em sneakers up, and save the game when the team goes cold. But alas, HR says ‘no.’ Coach Clark, though? She’s about to bend that rule. You better not expect her to stay silent on the sidelines. “She’s gonna still have a great impact on this team,” Sandy Brondello said when asked about Caitlin Clark’s sideline role. “I will give the coaching hat to her as much as she wants.” You bet Caitlin Clark has taken that role seriously, with a little twist of her own, though.

All-Star Coach Brondello has every reason to have that confidence in CC. “I think you’ve seen it with the Fever, she’s been very active on the sideline when she wasn’t playing so we’ll utilize that as well.” It’s true, whether it was five games on the shelf in May (due to a quad strain). Or her much-felt absence during the Commissioner’s Cup Final in June (due to a left groin injury), Caitlin Clark still found ways to stay in the mix even from the bench. Now that she is sidelined from the All-Star Game with a right groin injury, expect her to take things up a notch higher.

During a chat ahead of the matchup, Caitlin Clark said, “it’s all about just having a good time.” Although, right after this statement, Fever teammate Sydney Colson put her on the spot.

She asked, “So, if your team is not having a good time because they’re losing. Then what’s the strategy?” Clark didn’t flinch. “We’ll still smile through it.” But knowing CC, she’s never just a smile. So when Colson pressed further, “Are you going to come off the bench and, like, if y’all are down, you’re going to come just start?” Clark grinned: “Bro, I think that’s a good idea. If we’re down, I sub in. I think I like that…” 

That’s a 360 from “just having fun,” right? Caitlin Clark had hinted at the real reason behind her chill approach. She admitted during the pregame presser: “Really unfortunate and I feel like there’s been quite a few injuries over the course of the beginning of the season for quite a few people so a lot of people in the same boat as myself and even my team has dealt with some injuries tonight.” And she’s not exaggerating.

Just glance at the replacement list. In the STARRY 3-Point Contest, Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull replaced Clark. Washington Mystics guard Brittney Sykes and Atlanta Dream forward Brionna Jones are also the injury replacements. They will be subbing in for Clark and Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally on Team Clark.

It’s especially a big reshuffle compared to Team Collier. There, the only injury sub for the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game is Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride. She is filling in for Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard. So when Caitlin Clark says, “We’ll make do with what we have, hopefully to beat Phee,” and quickly follows it up with, “But, you know, I’m not gonna say I’ve just been getting around-the-clock treatment. I’ve still been trying to enjoy this weekend, finding that balance and soaking all of this in,” it feels less like coping mechanism. A way to keep things light while dealing with the frustration of injuries.

Injured Caitlin Clark Still Dials Up the Trash Talk at Collier

Even though she’s sidelined, Caitlin Clark hasn’t lost her competitive edge. She brought her usual fire to the pregame press conference, this time though, with her words instead of her shots. When Napheesa Collier tossed out the classic “defense wins games” line, Clark (the fearless, offense-first point guard) couldn’t help but clap back. With a smirk, she shot back, “Great offense means good defense. Defensive Player of the Year would say that, she has to.” Collier who is a defensive standout, laughed it off, but that exchange perfectly highlighted their opposite approaches.

Don’t get it twisted, Caitlin Clark can lock in on defense when she wants to. Against the Dallas Wings, she racked up a career-high five steals and a block. She later admitted, “I can be really good [on] defense. When I choose to and work really hard on it and not conserve energy.” But Clark, who handles the ball more than anyone, knows her offensive game is what really shifts momentum. Collier later joked that the new four-point shot might as well have been designed for Clark.

Replying to her, Caitlin once again didn’t miss a beat. “It’s not even really that far, though.” Most players treat 28 feet like another continent, but Clark? In 2024, she drilled 49 shots from 25-29 feet. And another 17 from 30-34 feet, including six from beyond 30 feet this season alone, all that, while battling injuries. She won’t be launching those deep threes at the All-Star Game. But her sharp tongue and killer mindset are just as dangerous as her range.