Only three days to go! In 72 hours, the WNBA All-Star game tips off in its new format. Moving away from the traditional East vs. West conference format, this year, the teams were drafted by the top vote-getters, Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier, in what promises to be an electrifying matchup. But what’s even more exciting is the roster of players themselves, especially Clark, who had always hoped to make her All-Star debut in the 3-point shooting contest, right in Indianapolis.

CC’s excitement was evident when she commented, “Two in a row, two more to go till All-Star, let’s go!” after the win over the Dream. And true to her words, the Fever followed that up with a comprehensive victory over the Suns. But as has been the case the whole season, the hoops Gods were yet again not kind to Clark. Let’s dive deep into what went wrong for CC, along with the prediction of Indiana’s game against the Liberty.

CC in doubt for the game against the Liberty?

No doubt, Caitlin Clark’s sophomore season has been nothing short of a rollercoaster, marked by packed arenas, historic performances (yes, we’re talking about her first career triple-double), and unfortunately, recurring injury scares. She has already been sidelined twice over the past few months—first due to a quadriceps injury, and then because of a left groin strain. And just when it seemed like she was turning a corner, another worrying moment unfolded during the Fever’s 85–77 win over the Sun.

Late in the fourth quarter, after dishing out an assist to Kelsey Mitchell for a layup, Clark was seen grabbing at her right groin. While she pushed through and finished with 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting (including 1-of-7 from deep), 5-of-6 free throws, along with eight rebounds and seven assists in 28 minutes, her visible discomfort raised alarms—especially considering this was just her fourth game back from the groin injury that had already kept her out of four regular-season games and the Commissioner’s Cup final.

Even Fever head coach Stephanie White didn’t reveal much postgame, saying only, “Just felt a little something in her groin, so we’ll get it evaluated and see what happens from there.” With Indiana facing a quick turnaround to play the Liberty in New York and the All-Star break mere hours away, there’s growing speculation that Clark may be rested as a precaution.

But the New York Liberty isn’t immune to injury concerns either. The 2024 Finals MVP, Jonquel Jones, has been sidelined since June 19 with a right ankle sprain—an aggravation of an initial injury that occurred on June 5. While she was initially projected to be out for 4–6 weeks, that timeline now seems accurate, as she returned to 5-on-5 drills on July 15 and reported feeling “99.9999999999999999 percent” healthy. Still, the team is being cautious, and her targeted return is set for July 22—ironically, in another matchup against the Indiana Fever. Without her, the Liberty have gone 4–4, underscoring just how much her absence has impacted New York’s rhythm.

Who’ll start for the two teams?

Here is the predicted lineup for the upcoming game!

Indiana Fever

-Sydney Colson

-Kesley Mitchell

-Aliyah Boston

-Natasha Howard

-Lexie Hull

NY Liberty

-Sabrina Ionescu

-Nyara Sabally

-Natasha Cloud

-Breanan Stewart

-Leonie Fiebich

Prediction time: Who’ll edge out this encounter? 

Heading into this highly anticipated Eastern Conference showdown, the Indiana Fever (12-10) will face off against the New York Liberty (14-6) on the back of a grueling back-to-back wins for Indiana. While the Fever have the momentum, all eyes are on CC’s groin injury, which flared up late in the fourth quarter of the game. With no official update yet, her status looms large over this matchup. If she decides to sit this one out, Indiana’s offensive rhythm could take a major hit, despite their impressive 84.5 PPG this season.

On the other side, the Liberty are coming off a gritty 79-72 comeback win over the Atlanta Dream, highlighted by a breakout 21-point performance from Leonie Fiebich. New York continues to show its elite depth, with Stewie and sharpshooter Saby still commanding defensive attention even during off-shooting nights.

Statistically, the Liberty has the edge defensively—ranking 4th in the WNBA in opponent PPG (79.3) and 2nd in opponent FG% (41.4)—a significant test for Indiana’s offense that thrives on transition play and crisp ball movement.  So if Clark plays, expect a tight contest, but the Liberty’s deeper bench and defensive consistency—especially at home—gives them the advantage. In CC’s absence, New York could take control early with their size, rebounding, and multi-level scoring. Hence, ESPN gives them 73% chances to win.  But we’ve seen Fever coming up with W3 taking down top-ranked teams when it matters the most, as they did against Lynx in the commissioner cup finals, so don’t rule them out just yet!