Anyone who thought Caitlin Clark would be sidelined for the WNBA All-Star Game was sorely mistaken. Despite a stubborn groin injury keeping her off the court, Team East head coach Sandy Brondello has given Clark a high-profile alternative role: honorary assistant coach.
Fans were disappointed when Clark officially announced she wouldn’t play, as the Indiana Fever guard relapsed from the groin injury that previously sidelined her for nearly two weeks. As a result, she’ll miss both the All-Star Game and the 3-Point Contest.
Still, Caitlin Clark isn’t one to fade quietly. Instead, she’ll be right alongside Brondello on the sidelines, helping design the strategy to lead Team East-affectionately dubbed “Team Clark”-to victory.
Brondello puts her faith in Clark
In a media interview ahead of the game, Brondello made it clear she sees Clark as a difference-maker.
“She’s still going to have a great impact on this team. I’ll give her coaching as much as she wants, to be quite honest.”
Answering a question from Robin Lundberg of the Indiana Fever in SI, Brondello added:
“We’re going to play around with it a little bit. It’ll be fun. You’ve seen it with the Fever-she’s been very active on the sidelines when she wasn’t playing-so we’ll utilize that, too.”
Sykes and Hull step in
With Clark shifting into her new role, the Team East has filled her roster spot with Washington Mystics guard Brittney Sykes. Meanwhile, Lexie Hull-Clark’s Fever teammate-will take her place in the 3-Point Contest.
Fans will miss seeing her compete in the All-Star Game, but Caitlin’s presence remains unmissable. The bigger question now is whether this marks the beginning of a future coaching career for Clark. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a skeptic, one thing’s certain: she’s not done influencing the game anytime soon.
Read the full article here
