Entering her very first WNBA All-Star in Phoenix last season, Caitlin Clark had already broken records– Most votes by fans, All-Star starter as a rookie, and then the all-time All-Star rookie assists records (10) in the game against the USWBNT. If you thought there isn’t much for her to do when it comes to breaking records, think again. She became the only player in the new WNBA All-Star format after A’ja Wilson to be selected as a team captain in her first two seasons in the league. 

Of course, that record came off of the heavy votes she received both to be an All-Star (1,293,526– most by fans in WNBA All-Star history) and to be the captain right at home in Indianapolis’ opportunity to host the event. Previously, she had already revealed “I’m gonna do everything I can. I might trade the rest of my team for those two” to pick her teammates Aliyah Boston in the frontcourt and Kelsey Mitchell in the back court. But there was one question looming– Will she pick the Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers? 

And well, when the time finally came as the point guard along with the West team captain Napheesa Collier (1,176,020 votes) drafted their hand-chosen players, the reigning league ROTY did not go with the first overall pick this season. Reason? Not envy, not competition. Just pure Caitlin Clark basketball IQ at work. And she flat-out spelled the reasoning before anyone could create yet another “rivalry” narrative.

During an hour-long WNBA Countdown episode on ESPN that hosted the All-Star Draft, ESPN’s Malika Andrews asked Clark when the time came to pick her fourth starters, “Caitlin, are you gonna make a move or you’re gonna listen to Phee? Who are you taking?” Picking Phoenix Mercury’s Satou Sabally over Bueckers, the No. 22 said,

“This is tough. They are both amazing, obviously. Taking Paige puts at a size disadvantage with me, Paige, and Sabrina. So, I’ll let Phee win this one. I will take Satou. Satou has had a great year. Phee I want you to be happy now. I want Phee to remember this when we get to the reserves that I let her pick two in a row basically.”

Clark had already put her strategy for the entire roster out by saying, “I’m going on vibes. We’re picking whatever comes to mind. We’re just having fun. My team’s gonna be fun. That’s all that matters. You get to be in front of the home crowd in Indianapolis, so, that’s it.”

Napheesa is a UConn product just like Paige, and it’s just more fitting that those two are on the same team. Collier had basically prayed while picking Nneka that her ‘Baby Husky’ would still be there after coming back, and Clark trolled Phee on just telling her plans for her next pick out loud.

While Clark had the opportunity to disrupt Collier’s strategy, choosing Sabally over Bueckers was a logical move. The 6-foot-4 Sabally adds much-needed size and rebounding to a lineup that already features two smaller guards, Clark at 6 feet and Ionescu at 5 feet 11. Not to mention, Clark’s team now has a good length comparison to Collier’s team. As for the games of the two choices, here’s a breakdown. 

Now, Collier was very happy that Clark let Bueckers go as she wrote, “Can’t wait” on X while reposting one of their photos together. But that’s not all. It was not only Clark assembling her teammates, but Collier also attempted to get as many UConn Huskies as possible. However, Clark did not let Collier have it all. She pulled another move by picking former UConn star Gabby Williams. “I don’t think Phee is going to be happy. I gave you Paige, I am taking Gabby.” In the end, this is how their teams looked:

With the teams set, the venue Gainbridge Fieldhouse is certainly ready to roar on Saturday, July 19. When it was all said and done, Andrews did ask the two captains according to the pre-set rules if they wanted to trade anyone. While the team was all fixed, there was one big trade certainly in the books for the two. 

Clark and Collier’s Draft Day Deal

The mutual respect and connection between the two captains were on full display during the All-Star draft, as both appeared to coordinate selections to ensure they each landed the players they most wanted on their respective teams. Clark was already very transparent with her picks as she wanted Boston and Kelsey Mitchell on her side. 

Collier also had a clear-cut strategy heading into the draft: shoot for current and former teammates. “I feel like got to try to get some of my (Unrivaled) Owls girls on here and got to try to get some of my (UConn) Huskies girls on here, so I’ve got an agenda coming into today,” Collier said. And Clark did not go drastically against Collier except for her Gabby Williams pick. Even for their last pick, Phee picked Rhyne Howard, and Clark got Kayla Thornton, who she “wanted anyway,” which worked out well for both.

The two, though, went against the rules as they swapped coaches. Apart from the history between the Lynx HC and Clark, the exchange happened because Collier felt more comfortable with Reeve. At the same time, Clark wanted Sandy Brondello. So, the New York Liberty HC will be in charge of Team Clark because of this ‘coach trade’.

“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. “Phee is going to take her coach. Sandy Brondello, let’s get it. Sorry, WNBA if that’s not in the rules. Sorry, ESPN, if that’s not in the rules, but we just made it a rule. Sandy Brondello, come on over, let’s get to it.”

Clark and Collier got the players and coach they wanted, setting the stage for what could be the biggest All-Star weekend in WNBA history. With Indiana hosting for the first time, the arena is expected to be packed just like it is for every Fever home game. With Clark leading one of the teams, tickets are sure to sell out fast. Fans will also get a long-awaited matchup as Clark goes head-to-head with Paige Bueckers, first when the Fever takes on Dallas on July 13 and then again in the All-Star Game.