Caitlin Clark Still Having Impact on WNBA All-Star Game Though She Won’t Play

Women’s National Basketball Association: Caitlin Clark Still Making Waves at WNBA All-Star Game Despite Not Playing

Caitlin Clark was seen bouncing a basketball, joining her teammates in a huddle, and playfully giving a thumbs down to one of her WNBA All-Star teammate’s shots before attempting her own half-court shot last Friday. This might be the most intense action we see from Clark this weekend.

The highly anticipated midseason event in Indianapolis was not supposed to unfold this way. Instead of dazzling her home fans with her signature passes and deep 3-pointers, Clark finds herself sidelined once again due to an injury. However, her presence is still felt strongly throughout the event. From the massive, eye-catching image of her on the JW Marriott Hotel to the advertisements wrapping around the city’s skywalks, last season’s Rookie of the Year still appears in high demand—perhaps even more so than her Indiana Fever All-Star teammates, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, or other players in attendance.

“I am going to be there,” Clark said in an interview with “Good Morning America” on Friday, referring to Saturday night’s game. “I will be active on the sideline cheering these two on.”

Clark did not engage in the scheduled interviews with reporters on Friday. For a league that has seen ticket sales and television ratings surge since her debut last season, her absence comes at a pivotal time. Indianapolis was chosen as the All-Star host last summer, and Clark was set to participate in the 3-point contest in her adopted city. The contest was expected to have one of the toughest lineups ever, featuring previous winners like Sabrina Ionescu from New York, Alisha Gray from Atlanta, and NCAA Division I scoring champion Kelsey Plum from Los Angeles, along with Washington rookie Sonia Citron. Due to Clark’s injury, Fever guard Lexie Hull will take her place in the contest.

“I think Lexie deserves it,” Mitchell expressed. “C.C. deserves recognition for ensuring that happened… This is a great opportunity for the Fever to be represented with someone this city loves.”

Even though everyone would have loved to see Clark in action, she remains actively involved off the court. Besides the morning interview and a midday practice with her “drafted” team and coach she acquired in a trade, she was also set to make appearances on Sue Bird’s podcast, WNBA Live, and with two sports brands—Nike and Wilson—before the Friday night festivities jili 178 register login. It’s likely that her agenda included some much-needed injury treatment as well.

Ionescu advised Clark to make the most of her unexpected opportunities during this time. “I went through something similar in my career,” she shared. “In my first year, I didn’t play due to injury and then for my second year, I faced multiple soft tissue injuries 3jili. Looking back, it was a blessing in disguise because I learned and grew from the experience. It’s all part of the journey in your professional career.”

Clark won’t have much downtime on Saturday either, with a morning shootaround, a 15-minute interview session planned, and navigating the newly built stage at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to test her coaching skills.

“Obviously, it’s unfortunate for Caitlin, but she’s still going to have a significant impact on this team,” commented Liberty coach Sandy Brondello. “I’ll give her the coaching reins as much as she wants. We’re going to have some fun with it.”

Clark never missed a game due to injury during her college years or her first professional season, but she has already been sidelined for ten games this season due to three muscle injuries. Boston and Mitchell have seen how their teammate has handled this adversity and expect no different demeanor this time around, even in a game that does not count in the standings.

“Caitlin will still be Caitlin, trust me guys,” Mitchell said, provoking laughter from those around. “She’ll be in a coaching uniform, and you’ll definitely see her competitive nature. But I think her body deserves this break. online casino players This weekend will still highlight what [she] and others have contributed to our league.”

While the league’s biggest stars square off on the court, Clark will revert to her role as a promoter. It’s a role she needs to embrace if she aims to participate when the regular season resumes with a home game against the defending champion Liberty on Tuesday—even if it’s a letdown for women’s basketball enthusiasts.

“I am feeling good,” Clark stated to GMA. “A lot of this cheers me up. It’s exciting to see everyone here enjoying themselves ph888 login password.”

What are your thoughts on Caitlin Clark’s influence on the WNBA, even while sidelined oke-bet slot?