Skip Bayless is at it again, stirring the pot with a bold theory about Caitlin Clark‘s absence from the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend. The sports media veteran, known for his fiery takes, claims the Indiana Fever star didn’t sit out due to injury but to send a message to her critics-showing the WNBA what it’s like without its biggest draw.
On his podcast, The Skip Bayless Show, the 73-year-old analyst argued that Clark, nicknamed “Ponytail Pete,” chose to skip the July 19 All-Star Game in Phoenix to highlight her impact on the league’s soaring popularity. “There’s no denying that since the arrival of ‘Ponytail Pete,’ the WNBA’s visibility and marketability have reached unprecedented levels,” Bayless said.
He pointed out that games featuring Clark against talents like Angel Reese or Paige Bueckers consistently drive massive ratings, unlike matchups with other stars like A’ja Wilson or Sabrina Ionescu. Bayless suggested Clark’s absence was “payback” for players downplaying her role in the league’s 2024-2025 surge.
“Caitlin got so tired of all the ungrateful resentment and all that petty jealousy that she finally said, ‘Okay, let’s see how you do without me,'” he claimed, noting her injury against the Connecticut Sun seemed “almost routine.”
Did Caitlin Clark boycott the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game?
Bayless predicted the All-Star Game’s ratings, which hit 3.44 million viewers in 2024, would tank without Clark. “I’m pretty certain they won’t be anywhere near last year’s record,” he said. Data backs him up to an extent: WNBA games without Clark often dip below average viewership, with her 2024 regular-season games averaging 8.2 million viewers compared to the league’s 5.9 million baseline. Yet, his theory that Clark sat out deliberately feels like a stretch. This year, without Clark playing, the WNBA All-Star Game had 2.2 million viewers.
The former Iowa star, known for her competitive fire, has never shied away from the court unless forced. Her emotional reactions during games-cheering teammates, visibly frustrated by setbacks-suggest no staged protest. The X platform lit up with reactions. One X user wrote, “Skip’s wild for this one. Caitlin’s hurt, not plotting some vendetta.” Another countered, “He’s got a point-ratings tanked without CC. 2025 All-Star prelim numbers are under 2.8M.” Still, without evidence, Bayless’ claim leans into his knack for conspiracy-driven narratives, like his past takes on LeBron James or Tom Brady.
Clark, meanwhile, remained active off the court, promoting the All-Star weekend via social media and attending events to support the league, hardly the actions of someone staging a boycott. While the WNBA thrives with Clark’s star power, Bayless’ theory seems more about sparking debate than uncovering truth.
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