What was the biggest storyline heading into the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game? Sure, Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier being named captains was huge. But what also had people buzzing was the full-circle moment of Clark being coached by the Lynx’s Cheryl Reeve after all the Olympic drama and last year’s All-Star game. The league had set the stage for it: Reeve would coach Team Clark, and Sandy Brondello would take over Team Collier. A perfect entertainment setup… until it wasn’t. 

Well, at the end of the WNBA Countdown show, right when fans were still digesting the rosters, a trade came through – but it wasn’t a player. Clark traded coaches. She sent Reeve over to Team Collier (who plays for Reeve in Minnesota) and got Sandy Brondello in return. “I don’t know if this is in the rules, I don’t really care, but I think we’ve already discussed, we are going to trade coaches,” Clark explained. She announced that she was taking Team Collier’s coach, saying she didn’t care if it broke any rules. She joked that if it wasn’t allowed by the WNBA or ESPN, they’ll just make it a rule themselves. “Sandy Brondello, come on over let’s get to it,” CC added. 

While it did raise eyebrows, coach Brondello sounded pretty chill about it. “I got traded. My son hit me up. I’ve created history, this is awesome. I got traded as a coach. I get to coach Sabrina and Caitlin Clark in Indianapolis… we’ll go out there and have fun,” she said. So, we didn’t get the Reeve-Clark fireworks everyone wanted, but we did get a historic coaching trade. 

Clark didn’t explain much about the surprise coach swap, but fans couldn’t help but connect the dots. Remember, Cheryl Reeve coached Team USA, the same Olympic squad Caitlin Clark was left off of. And while Reeve has insisted she had no hand in the final decision, the move still raised eyebrows. Add to that the fact that Reeve had previously been vocal about the overwhelming attention Clark received heading into her rookie season.

Nonetheless, what’s done is done. Brondello will be coaching one of her own – Ionescu – on Team Clark, while she and Sab will go head-to-head with Breanna Stewart. As for Phee, it worked out perfectly. Her All-Star squad will now be coached by her own Lynx head coach. “I love Cheryl,” Collier expressed, before delivering some playful trash talk. “That’s just going to be worse for Team Clark, because now we’ve got more chemistry on our side, more synergy.”

But the move surely came as a surprise, especially since the player selections weren’t all that shocking. Clark, drafting off “vibes”, built herself a team around her friends. Her roster includes Fever teammates Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young from the Aces, Satou Sabally (Mercury), Gabby Williams (Storm), Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen (Mystics), and Valkyries’ Kayla Thornton.

On the other side, Collier, wearing an Unrivaled shirt proudly, picked several of her Lunar Owls teammates – like Allisha Gray (Dream), Skylar Diggins (Storm), and Courtney Williams (Lynx). She rounded out her squad with Nneka Ogwumike (Storm), Paige Bueckers (Wings), Angel Reese (Sky), Alyssa Thomas (Mercury), Kelsey Plum (Sparks), and Rhyne Howard (Dream).

It couldn’t have shaped up better for those rooting for the Indy trio and a UConn reunion. But that wasn’t all. Along with that, Indiana fans got another piece of great news.

Caitlin Clark cleared to return vs. Valkyries after 5-game absence

The wait is finally over. After missing the last five games with a left groin injury, the Indiana Fever star is officially cleared to play. Tuesday’s practice offered promising signs, and both Clark and head coach Stephanie White confirmed she’s expected to return in Wednesday’s matchup against the Golden State Valkyries. 

Clark wasn’t just easing in at practice. At one point, she casually launched a cross-court spiral like she was starring in a football highlight reel. And finally, the Fever made it official Tuesday afternoon, posting a clean injury report: “Status Report for tomorrow’s game vs. Golden State: No injuries,” the team announced on X. On top of everything, the timing couldn’t be better. The Fever and Valkyries are not only two of the league’s most exciting teams but they’re also tied at 9-9 heading into their second matchup of the season. Golden State won the first one, so revenge is very much on the menu for Indiana.

Plus, the hype is real. These two teams lead the WNBA in average attendance. The Valkyries lighting up the Bay as the league’s newest franchise, and Clark’s presence still driving sellouts across the country. Speaking about the matchup, Clark noted the Valkyries are “a team that’s going to be moving constantly,” and said she’ll need to bring “a lot of energy” to keep up.

As for her minutes, CC said, “I hope to play a decent amount… Maybe upper 20s. I guess it just depends on how I feel and how the game goes and what the team needs as well.” Let’s see if Indiana manages to even the score.