INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is injured and won’t be able to play, but the party is still on for WNBA All-Star weekend.

For the first time, Indianapolis hosts the WNBA All-Star Game, and Indiana’s capital city has gone all-in, from extensive signage at the airport to the downtown area surrounding Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Clark, the leading vote-getter in All-Star fan balloting and a team captain along with the Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier, is out with a groin injury. She won’t play in Saturday’s game (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) or in Friday’s 3-point shooting contest.

Friday’s events (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) will begin with the skills challenge, headlined by Atlanta Dream forward Allisha Gray, who won the competition in 2024 in Phoenix.

Gray will look to defend her title against a pool of guards: the New York Liberty’s Natasha Cloud, the Seattle Storm’s Skylar Diggins and Erica Wheeler, and the Minnesota Lynx’s Courtney Williams.

Then some of the WNBA’s best long-range shooters will compete in the 3-point contest, where Gray will also try to defend her title. She will go head-to-head with 3-point contest record holder Sabrina Ionescu, Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum and Washington Mystics rookie Sonia Citron.

How will it all play out? ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel look ahead to the events and make some predictions. And check back later Friday for their live, on site analysis and coverage from Indianapolis.

With Clark out, what’s the top storyline for the weekend?

Philippou: It’s the status of the collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the league and the players’ union. More than 40 WNBA players attended a meeting Thursday in Indianapolis where both sides hoped some progress would emerge toward a resolution for a new deal. The WNBPA put out a statement afterward indicating the players were not pleased with the league’s response to its proposals, and players will likely have more to say Friday during media availability about their concerns. And commissioner Cathy Engelbert will be asked about it during her annual All-Star news conference Saturday night.

Supply: Clark is not playing, but the festivities are still a tribute to the spotlight she has helped bring to the franchise. Indiana joined the WNBA in 2000, yet Indianapolis was never a city you heard mentioned for All-Star Game consideration — until 2024 No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year Clark’s massive popularity made it seem like a natural fit. Of the 20 previous All-Star Games, Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut has hosted four times, and Las Vegas, New York and Phoenix have each hosted three times.

Even sidelined, Clark remains a big star here. Kids will line up hoping to get an autograph or at least a glimpse of her.

This situation is a lot like 2019 when the All-Star Game was held in Las Vegas for the first time, thanks in part to the popularity of A’ja Wilson. She had been WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2018 when the franchise moved to Vegas from San Antonio. Like Clark now, Wilson in 2019 was an All-Star team captain not able to play due to injury, but was still a big presence at the game.

With her sidelined, what role will Clark play this weekend in Indianapolis?

Andrews: Clark will have a heavy presence on the sideline. She’s the host for All-Star weekend in Indianapolis. She is a strong reason the festivities are in Indiana. Clark has a serious competitive edge, and now that she’s not playing she might be even more vocal than she would have been if she were in the game. She’s going to be up, chirping at officials and opponents. It also might give her a better opportunity to interact with her home fans. When she selected her team, she repeatedly said how much fun All-Star weekend is supposed to be. She said it was all about “vibes.” Expect to see her continue that way of thinking, and bring a lightheartedness to the game and Friday night.

Supply: Clark has such a sharp mind for basketball strategy and keen understanding of personnel, it’s not a stretch to see her being a WNBA or NBA coach someday if that’s what she wants to do. No doubt, she will be a very engaged “assistant” to Team Clark coach Sandy Brondello on Saturday.

Philippou: Aside from what Mike and Kendra mentioned, Clark still has such an outsized presence around the city of Indianapolis, even if she won’t be on the court. Everywhere you turn there seems to be a banner or installation with her likeness on it — not to mention the massive, 92,000 square foot Nike ad on the JW Marriott towering over downtown Indianapolis. She won’t be far from mind this weekend even if she can’t participate as she had hoped.

a message from Caitlin Clark ❤️ pic.twitter.com/zRGZEpqF5R

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) July 17, 2025

Who are you most excited to watch Friday night?

Andrews: The 3-point contest is stacked, but I’m most looking forward to watching Ionescu in that competition. The last time she participated in the event, in 2023, she took home the title after getting a record-breaking 37 points. That’s the most points scored in the 3-point shootout in both the WNBA and NBA. Then in 2024 she competed against Stephen Curry at NBA All-Star Weekend. There, she got 26 points and lost to Curry by just two after he made his final shots. Ionescu is one of the best shooters the W has seen and should put on a show Friday night.

Philippou: I’m with Kendra — what a group of contestants lined up, even without Clark. Beyond Ionescu, will Gray be able to defend one (or both) of her titles? Plum is one of the toughest competitors there is and should never be counted out, and Citron could continue her streak of showing up big in clutch moments with a memorable performance Friday night in her first All-Star weekend.

Supply: Wheeler in the skills challenge. One of the most emotional moments in WNBA All-Star history was in 2019 when Wheeler became the only undrafted player to be chosen the game’s MVP. She had 25 points — including a record seven 3-pointers — to lead Team Wilson to victory. Upon receiving her MVP trophy, Wheeler shed tears while talking about losing her mother to cancer while she was playing collegiately for Rutgers, and then battling to make it to the WNBA.

Last year, Wheeler — who has spent six seasons in two separate stints with Indiana — was a popular player with Fever fans. They appreciated her hustling playing style and how supportive she was as a veteran to then-rookie Clark. Wheeler now plays for Seattle, but a lot of Fever fans are likely to root for her in the skills challenge.