WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis encountered twists and turns that the league did not expect.
Three rookies were selected to play in the All-Star Game, while the introduction of the 4-point shot led to a record 282 combined points. Lexie Hull, who has the fourth-highest 3-point percentage in the league, did not reach the finals of the 3-Point Contest, while Natasha Cloud — who has never played in an All-Star Game — won the Skills Challenge and more than $50,000.
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But no surprise was bigger than Caitlin Clark missing out on the action. A right groin injury ruled out the Indiana Fever star, disappointing the hometown crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The captain of Team Clark did her best to motivate her hand-picked All-Stars, but Team Collier’s historic performance made the difference in the end.
However, Clark’s absence did not dent viewer interest in All-Star Weekend. Even though Clark did not participate in the 3-Point Contest, Friday’s shootout and Skills Challenge garnered 1.3 million viewers on ESPN — a new All-Star landmark for the league.
Numbers improved even more on Saturday, when 2.2 million average viewers tuned in for the All-Star Game itself — a 158 percent increase over 2023 viewership.
ESPN, ABC & @DisneyPlus scored historic viewership for the ’25 #WNBAAllStar Weekend 👏
Skills Challenge & 3-Point Contest
🏀 1.3M avg. viewersWNBA All-Star Game
🏀 2.2M avg. viewers pic.twitter.com/D4nr20k5Pe— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) July 22, 2025
The viewership revelation proves what many already know: the WNBA is bigger than ever, right as the players’ union attempts to secure historic gains in negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement.
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