The year hasn’t started the way Indiana Fever’s star player Caitlin Clark had hoped-not for her, not for her team, and certainly not for the millions of fans who tune in to watch her bring her talent to the court each game.
Unfortunately, injuries have been a constant in 2025, preventing Clark from performing at her highest level in the WNBA. Even so, her numbers have remained impactful.
In the Fever’s most recent game, Clark suffered a recurrence of the groin injury that had already sidelined her for five games earlier in the season. As a result, she will now miss both the All-Star Game and the Three-Point Contest, which this year offers $60,000 to the winner.
Now, all she can do is support her team from the sidelines as captain, while several of her teammates will still be present on the court. Her replacement in the skills competition has already been announced: Lexie Hull will take Clark’s place and carry the Fever’s hopes of keeping the three-point title in-house.
Sabrina Ionescu’s message to Caitlin Clark
Sabrina Ionescu, who is on Caitlin Clark’s All-Star team this year, knows exactly what the Fever star is going through. Ionescu recalled that during her first two seasons in the WNBA, she had to battle through several injuries. But once that difficult chapter ended, her career took off. This 2025 appearance marks her fourth All-Star Game, and she has firmly established herself as one of the league’s elite players.
Obviously, we’re good friends. I’ve been able to talk to her a lot through this process,”…”Honestly, I went through something similar in my career. My first year I didn’t play due to injury and then second year I had three [or] four soft tissue injuries that I was dealing with. You look back and it’s a blessing in disguise because you’re able to learn and grow and understand it’s all part of your journey. You just gotta continue to figure out what you need in a pro career. Just trying to be that soundboard for her and that voice having gone through something similar.
Ionescu said. And added:
It’s really unfortunate that we don’t have her but she means a lot more to the game than just showing up and playing,”…”And I think you’re able to see that with the excitement in Indy regardless of if she’s playing or not.
Missing this year’s All-Star Game will surely be a painful blow for Caitlin Clark, but she has one major advantage: her youth. With the extraordinary talent she’s already shown, it’s almost certain that many more All-Star Games await her in the future.
For now, the priority is to stay calm and focus on fully recovering from the injury that has already complicated her rookie season.
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