It all goes back to July 2022. Two years before Caitlin Clark was even drafted into the Fever, she was vouching for the inlcusion of the latest cool rule. “The 4 point shot in the WNBA All-Star game>>>> 🙂,” she shared on Twitter then. And, thankfully, her prayers were heard the same year she made history by becoming the first player to receive 1,293,526 votes. But the celebrations didn’t last long. In front of her home crowd, Clark wasn’t in a jersey; instead, she was out there coaching her team. Yup, clipboard in hand, seated on the sidelines, she was out there calling plays and guiding her teammates like a seasoned tactician. And if you were curious about what kind of plays she had up her sleeve – well, we are sure that mystery is halfway solved now.

Team Caitlin Clark faced all sorts of problems leading up to the game. Of course, not having your captain suit up is a big loss, but that wasn’t all. Satou Sabally announced she needed more time to recover from her ankle injury. And to make matters worse, Jackie Young played only a few seconds before exiting the court to protect herself, as she was dealing with a right hip injury. Not an ideal scenario for Team Caitlin.

However, when trailing 60–82 at halftime, Clark had a simple plan for her teammates – one she didn’t hesitate to share live on TV. Honestly, though, she sounded less like an All-Star captain and more like the captain of the Four-Point Shot Fan Club. “I am just all 4-point shots, 4-point shots, 4-point shots!” she said, making it clear that she wanted her team to fire off more long-range shots. And they definitely needed them.

At one point in the game, specifically when the score hit 106–86, Team Collier held a 16-point edge in four-pointers alone over Team Clark. “More, more, more! We haven’t made as many as hem. You don’t realize how fast these 4-point shots are going to add up. We didn’t take that into account, and they have made quite a few… we gotta slow them down,” Clark added.

So, while one of the captains was forced to wish from the sidelines, the other delivered a performance that will go down in All-Star history. Napheesa Collier set a new All-Star Game record by scoring 36 points on an incredible 13-of-16 shooting. But of course, much of that success had to do with the roster Collier had drafted. Not only did Phee draft her Lunar Owls teammates, but she also brought in seasoned stars like Nneka Ogwumike and Breanna Stewart. While Clark leaned into youthful energy, Collier bet on experience. And it paid off as her team put on a record-setting offensive night. So, maybe, Clark was right when she implied best defense is best offense?

When asked, perhaps out of sheer optimism, if she might want to have a little defensive chat with her team, considering they were trailing by over 20, Clark wasn’t having any of it. “Never. Come on, Rebecca, you know better than that. Offense is what is gonna get us back in it,” she said. Well, yes, the four-point shots did make all the difference.

One of the most exciting rule changes in this year’s All-Star Game was the introduction of the four-point shot. These shots could be taken from four designated circles on the court – two on each side – placed 28 feet from the rim, beyond the three-point line. And Team Phee made the most of it! Right from the jump, Team Collier set the tone. Paige Bueckers opened the scoring with a four-pointer, and Kayla McBride added another to stretch the gap to 45–32 later in the first. They ended the quarter ahead 49–36. As the second quarter rolled around, captain Phee exploded for back-to-back four-pointers and a driving layup, extending the lead to 63–44 with just under six minutes left in the half.

From there on, Team Clark’s halftime grave was dug deeper by Chelsea Gray. And Collier, of course, and Allisha Gray made sure to keep it that way. By the time the fourth quarter rolled in, Team Collier held a commanding 119–95 advantage, leaving little room for suspense. In total, Team Collier went 12-of-28 from the 4-point line, with the captain herself leading the charge, knocking down 4-of-5. Meanwhile, Team Clark struggled throughout, knocking down just 8 of their 37 attempts.

However, some were clearly not happy with this new rule.

Rebecca Lobo is unhappy with the 4-point rule as Team Caitlin Clark loses

The new 4-point rule led to records being broken left and right. Not only did 2025 WNBA All-Star MVP Napheesa Collier break the scoring record, but the 151 points scored by her team also set a new team record in All-Star game history. That said, Rebecca Lobo isn’t too pleased with the rule.

“I’ve got an opinion that might not be popular, I guess I’ll share it… So I love that AT&T donates money to charity when players hit the 4-point shot, that’s phenomenal… I don’t like the 4-point shot,” Lobo said. “The WNBA All-Star Game was more competitive before the players were all just launching the ball.”

Everyone’s going to have their take on whether the 4-point rule actually made the game better. But one thing’s certain. If Caitlin Clark had been on the court, the intensity would’ve gone up a whole other level. That rule felt like it was tailor-made for her. Sadly, she wasn’t able to suit up this year. But next year? Things could be different. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments down below!