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Honestly, the energy in Indianapolis was just different this year. If you were looking for a tight, defensive struggle, you definitely weren't watching the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game. It was a total offensive explosion. Team Collier absolutely dismantled Team Clark with a final score of 151-131.
Yeah, you read that right. 151 points.
It was the highest-scoring game in the history of the event, and it wasn't even particularly close by the end. The whole night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse felt like a massive celebration of where the league is heading, even if one of the biggest names wasn't actually on the hardwood.
The Napheesa Collier Masterclass
While the game technically bore the names of the two captains, Napheesa Collier and Caitlin Clark, only one of them actually suited up. Clark had to sit this one out due to a late-breaking groin injury, which honestly was a bummer for the local Indiana crowd. But Collier? She didn't just show up; she took over.
Collier dropped 36 points, officially breaking the single-game scoring record previously held by Arike Ogunbowale. She was surgical, hitting 13 of her 16 shots. What's even wilder is how she leaned into the experimental rules. She knocked down four "4-point shots" from the deep circles placed 28 feet from the rim.
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"I'm just all four-point shots, four-point shots. More, more, more," Clark joked from the sidelines during a halftime interview. It’s funny because Collier is usually known for her steady, fundamental greatness with the Minnesota Lynx, but she turned into a flamethrower in Indy.
A Historic Triple-Double
If Collier was the hammer, Skylar Diggins was the engine. We’ve seen a lot of great performances in these exhibition games, but we had never seen a triple-double. Not until now.
Diggins put up:
- 11 points
- 11 rebounds
- 15 assists
It was a bit of a full-circle moment for her. She was playing in the same building where she led Notre Dame to a national championship game over a decade ago. Seeing her distribute the ball like that—especially to teammate Nneka Ogwumike, who chipped in 16 points—made Team Collier look less like a pickup squad and more like a well-oiled machine.
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Why Team Clark Struggled
It’s tough when your captain and primary playmaker is wearing a tracksuit instead of a jersey. Without Caitlin Clark on the floor, the offensive flow for her squad felt a little disjointed. Kelsey Mitchell did her best to keep the hometown fans happy, leading Team Clark with 20 points, but they just couldn't keep pace with the record-setting barrage from the other side.
The game also featured some new faces. Paige Bueckers, the Dallas Wings rookie, made her All-Star debut and looked like she belonged, even if her shooting numbers (6 points) were modest. On the other side, Angel Reese pulled down 9 rebounds for Team Collier, continuing her trend of being an absolute magnet for the ball.
More Than Just a Game
The final score of 151-131 tells you who won the WNBA All-Star Game, but it doesn't tell the whole story of the weekend. If you looked closely at the warm-up shirts, you saw a clear message: "Pay Us What You Owe Us." There was a serious undercurrent to the festivities. The players are in the middle of heavy negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Collier, who is a VP for the players' union, was balancing her MVP performance with meetings about the league's financial future.
Basically, the players are making it known that while the league's popularity is skyrocketing, they expect their compensation to reflect that growth. It gave the whole weekend a sense of purpose beyond just flashy crossovers and deep threes.
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What This Means for the Rest of 2025
Coming out of the break, the Minnesota Lynx look terrifying. With Collier playing at an MVP level and Diggins looking rejuvenated, the power dynamic in the West is shifting.
If you're tracking the standings, here’s what to keep an eye on:
- The MVP Race: Collier has firmly established herself as the frontrunner alongside A'ja Wilson.
- Rookie Progression: Keep watching how the league handles the physicality as Bueckers and the rest of the 2025 class hit the "rookie wall."
- CBA News: Expect more "Pay Us" messaging as we approach the end of the season.
To stay ahead of the curve, make sure you're checking the official WNBA standings weekly, as the playoff seeding is going to be a bloodbath this year. If you missed the game, the full highlights are worth a watch just to see Collier's 4-point range—it's basically a glimpse into the future of how the game might be played.