The news fans were dreading has finally been confirmed: Caitlin Clark won’t be participating in the All-Star Game or the 3-Point Contest. And as we at EssentiallySports cover the weekend live from Indianapolis, CC will be supporting her teammates from the sidelines. But that’s not bringing her spirits down one bit! “I’m just excited to be out here and see everybody. I think the rest of the day will be awesome, tonight and tomorrow as well,” she said in an interview with GMA. And believe it or not, she won’t just be a spectator—she’s got a ‘major role’ to play in all the action too!

Just days before the All-Star festivities, fans were dealt the blow they had hoped to avoid. With around 30 seconds left in the game against the Connecticut Sun, Caitlin Clark left TD Garden in tears, clutching her groin in pain. It marked her third injury of the season, and shortly after, it was confirmed she’d miss the entire All-Star weekend. Lexie Hull was named as her replacement in the 3-point contest, while Brittney Sykes filled her spot in the All-Star game. While it’s unfortunate that Indiana fans won’t witness their talisman in action, rest assured!

She will still have a big role to play! Don’t believe us? Just see what Sandy Brondello had to say!

“Unfortunate about Caitlin’s not into this game, but she is still going to have a great impact on this team,” Brondello said during a pre-game press conference. “You know, I will give that coaching hat to her as much as she wants. To be quite honest, so you know, we are going to play around with it a little bit. It will be fun.”

This was going to be Caitlin Clark’s moment. First All-Star captain in front of her home crowd. She even drafted her Fever teammates to her team. The stage was all set. It almost felt like a page taken directly from a fairy tale book. But while that may no longer be the case, Clark isn’t going to let that ruin this special weekend. Team Caitlin Clark will have their captain turn into a coach this Sunday, as we bring you all the visuals from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, first at EssentiallySports! And this is something she has been doing quite a lot these days, unfortunately!

Remember when Caitlin Clark injured her left quadriceps and Coach White came out and said, “It gives Caitlin an opportunity to look at it a little bit more from a coach’s perspective. We’ll want her to sit closest to our coaches so that she can hear some of the conversations, hear points of emphasis, and see it through a different lens.” Well, that’s exactly what Clark has done during the 11 games she’s missed this season.

She’s been present at every game, passionately voicing her thoughts against the officials when calls didn’t go Indiana’s way and constantly engaging with the coaching staff throughout the action. “She’s starting to recognize some of those things, starting to recognize mismatches, switches, how defenses are playing us, because you can see it differently from the sideline, then you see it and sense it on the floor,” Coach White pointed out how this rough stretch has helped elevate Caitlin’s understanding of the game.

Sandy Brondello thanks Caitlin Clark for unexpectedly making history!

For those unaware, a landmark event took place during this year’s All-Star draft. History books were rewritten as, for the first time in All-Star game history, players weren’t traded. The coaches were traded instead! Sandy Brondello became the coach of Team Caitlin while Cheryl Reeve went to coach Team Collier!

As you would expect, Brondello was asked about the unexpected trade, and she was quick to thank Caitlin! “Thank you, Caitlin, I appreciate that,” she said. “I’ve never been a part of a trade… would have been nice to coach Caitlin, I’ll lean into her coaching experience.” It goes without saying that having someone like Caitlin by your side, always hungry to learn and improve, makes a coach’s job that much easier. And that’s exactly what Sandy Brondello reiterated when she spoke about how “lucky” she felt to have the chance to work with Clark on the same team!

It’s unfortunate for the fans present at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and those abroad who won’t be able to see Caitlin Clark take part in any of the activities. But don’t lose hope! You will see her usual energy from the sidelines and get a bird’s-eye view of what Coach Caitlin Clark would look like 20 years from now!