Before even drafting her very own WNBA All-Star team, Caitlin Clark already had clarity about the players she was going to choose. As she shared during a Q&A with season ticket holders, “I think there’s a high chance Kels and AB are on my team.” And she stayed true to her word – both her teammates are now on her side. So, did CC choose loyalty over talent? Well, who are we to question that? Because even Napheesa Collier did the same!

Kicking things off, Caitlin Clark made the obvious-yet-heartfelt move by selecting her Fever partner, Aliyah Boston, as the top pick. From there, she wasted no time forming an All-Star Avengers squad, adding the ever-clutch Sabrina Ionescu, the dominant force that is A’ja Wilson, and the versatile Satou Sabally. Meanwhile, Napheesa Collier, too, went full mastermind mode. She opened with Breanna Stewart, because who doesn’t want Stewie on their team? And then added the smooth and underrated Allisha Gray, brought in veteran leadership with Nneka Ogwumike, and completed the lineup with rookie (and fellow UConn royalty) Paige Bueckers.

And that’s how Phee ended up drafting two of the top players, Stewie and PB, to her All-Star team this season. No doubt, it was a great move, but what truly stood out was the tweet she made afterwards. “Can’t wait,” she posted on X while reposting a tweet that referred to her as “Mama Husky” and the former Huskies standout as “Baby Husky” after the draft.

And that’s how we know she, too, followed an unspoken rule that Cam Spencer once summed up perfectly: “Huskies for life”. And that’s what it really comes down to, once a Husky, always a Husky. These players continue to prove it, year after year.

Paige Bueckers recently led UConn to a national title, and Collier had once been a dominant forward from 2015 to 2019, recording 49 career double-doubles and helping the team win the 2016 national championship. And Stewie? She’s a legendary Husky who led the program to four straight NCAA titles and still holds the record as UConn’s all-time leader in blocks. Of course, there were other reasons too. After picking Stewie, Collier called her a “fellow co-founder” of the women’s 3-on-3 pro league Unrivaled, and the two were also teammates on Cheryl Reeve’s 2024 Olympic roster. But yes, the UConn bond holds a special place, not just because of loyalty, but because they actually played together during the 2016 championship run. And you know that the 2016 UConn team is her dream team, as she herself said this year, “My all-time actual team would be the 2016 championship”.

Phee was a freshman then, and Stewie was a senior to her. “My welcome to college moment—we were playing pickup, and I tried to shoot it,” Collier recalled in a candid Unrivaled interview. “You literally just took it out of the air and were like, ‘F— out of here.’” And, that’s how the relationship between two veteran Huskies translated into All-Star-level support.

But that wasn’t the end of it. After securing Stewie, Collier had her eyes on PB, not just because Paige, often called the “Baby Husky,” was a hot commodity, but because the pick was personal for the Lynx standout. Well, Phee herself has admitted it earlier in the season, when she shared, “First of all, her work ethic. And then, I think the way that she’s already a three-way player. Mid-range is probably the hardest to master, and she’s really good in the mid-range.”

She added, ” But especially as a point guard, being able to score at all levels, and then her vision is really impressive—especially for someone who hasn’t played professionally yet.” And to be honest, that level of praise coming from a 2024 Olympic gold medalist means a lot, but when it comes to PB, it truly makes sense.

Just consider this: the W’s Rookie of the Month for June is leading all rookies in scoring with 18.2 points per game and 5.1 assists per game. And she’s not just excelling on offense, she also ranks fourth among rookies in rebounds, averaging 4.4 per game. So, makes sense that she’s one of only ten players in WNBA history, and the only rookie in 2025, to be named a starter in the All-Star Game, despite being limited by a knee injury and concussion protocol.

“I feel like I have a lot of people who go to bat for me… To do well across the board—it definitely means a lot,” she reflected on her All-Star starter nod. Still, all that wasn’t enough for CC, who admitted she didn’t pick Bueckers because she didn’t want a three-guard starting lineup that lacked size. And that gave Collier the perfect opportunity to scoop up Paige, and just like that, the UConn alumnae were reunited on the All-Star stage. But this loyalty wasn’t just limited to players.

Napheesa Collier refuses to let go of her Lynx HC, even at the All-Star game!

Have you ever seen anything like it? For the first time ever, the two WNBA All-Star team captains drafted their favorite players, stood by them, and – even with the option to trade – refused to budge. But then, in a twist no one saw coming, they ended up trading coaches live during the All-Star draft broadcast. Yes, you read that right.

CC swapped Minnesota Lynx HC Cheryl Reeve, originally assigned to her team, in exchange for NY Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello. The result? Collier kept her own head coach, someone she’s familiar with and trusts, while Clark got a chance to be led by Brondello, the coach of the championship-winning Liberty squad.

Of course, it also made sense from a rivalry standpoint as it would’ve been odd for Collier to be coached by Brondello, who leads her team’s biggest opponent, the Liberty. But the decision wasn’t just personal, it was strategic too as Reeve isn’t just the Lynx head coach; she also coached Team USA to Olympic gold in 2024, bringing a wealth of big-stage experience.

But what makes it even wilder is that this kind of trade had never happened before in WNBA history, and the captains themselves weren’t even sure it was allowed. “I don’t know if this is in the rules; I don’t really care,” Clark said with a smirk before announcing the swap and jokingly apologizing to the WNBA and ESPN if it went against the draft protocol. Well, yes, the league approved the move, and just like that, it became the only trade Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier made after drafting their All-Star rosters!