This has to be the golden era of Indy hoops, no doubt about it. The Pacers are literally one win away from their first-ever NBA title, playing Game 7 of the Finals. On the other side, the Indiana Fever are back in the national spotlight for the first time since the Tamika Catchings era. But it’s much more than just about wins and losses. It’s the vibe, the love, the sheer hype this team is generating and the first return of the WNBA All-Star fan voting just gave us the ultimate proof.
Led by none other than Caitlin Clark, this Fever squad is straight-up dominating the All-Star charts. The WNBA dropped the first fan voting results on Friday, and let’s just say… jaws dropped. Clark pulled in a wild 515,993 votes.And she’s not alone on the throne either. Her Fever teammates are right up there.
Aliyah Boston came in third overall with 446,961 votes. Then there’s Kelsey Mitchell at No. 7 with 277,664, and Lexie Hull, who snuck into the top 10 at No. 9 with 217,438 votes. You’ll find in total eight Fever players in the top 40. That’s half their roster! Natasha Howard is at No. 16 with 158,331, while Sophie Cunningham just broke into the party at No. 23 with 95,116. And the list keeps going. Damiris Dantas grabbed the No. 30 spot with 72,262, while DeWanna Bonner, a Fever vet, locked in at No. 38 with 56,775.
And Clark knows what’s up. She can feel the shift. “It seems like it’s certainly gonna set some sort of record for the amount of votes cast compared to last year if I’m not mistaken,” Clark said. “I feel like we’re on track for that, which just shows how much engagement we’re driving across the league for all different sorts of players and teams.”
caitlin on the increased voting numbers for 2025 wnba all star:
“…just shows how much engagement we’re driving all across the league for all different sorts of players and teams…” pic.twitter.com/cmtmfY0JNv
— lo (@caitscroptop) June 21, 2025
She’s absolutely right. Back in 2023 – before Clark was even in the league – the entire first round of fan voting brought in just 422,173 total votes across the 30-player list. This year? Clark alone has 515,993. To give you more jaw-droppers: Napheesa Collier has 484,758, and Aliyah Boston has 446,961 – each of them outscoring the entire pool from last year.
Also, A’ja Wilson was the top vote-getter in round one with a modest 35,968 votes. Now in 2025, even Kayla McBride, who’s ranked 40th, has 44,378. Oh, and remember when rookie Aliyah Boston finished fourth last year with 72,294 votes? This year, the leading rookie is Paige Bueckers with a whopping 312,920.
Even comparing it to Clark’s own rookie season last year, the leap is real. She had 216,427 votes in the first round in 2024, finishing second behind Wilson. This year, that same number wouldn’t even break the top 10. As it stands right now, 19 players already have more than 100,000 votes. Last year, it was zero. If this pace keeps up, we’re looking at a couple of players possibly cracking the million-vote milestone. That used to take the top 20 players combined. So this is a whole new ballgame.
While the Fever have eight players in the top 40, the next closest is the New York Liberty with just four. Add that to the packed Fever arena, the jersey sales, and the online frenzy, and this fan vote just feels like the cherry on top. Another receipt to prove that the Clark effect is very, very real and they’re running the league when it comes to fans support. Even rivals can’t stop raving about it.
Clark’s also loving the energy. “That’s exactly what the league needs is people excited about that type of stuff and wanting to be involved and feeling like their vote really counts and feeling like they can make an impact on the All-Star Game,” she said. “It’s really exciting to see and hopefully as we continue to go here year, to year, to year it just continues to grow.”
Once the final rosters are in, there’ll be a draft again to decide teams. The top guards and frontcourt players from the combo scores will be named starter, who will play the All-Star game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Fever’s homecourt). Voting officially closes on June 28, and honestly, with the way things are going, these numbers could blow up even more by then.
So it’s a win for Indy. It’s a win for the league. And most of all, it’s a win for women’s hoops. The Caitlin Clark effect isn’t just hype anymore. But as we’ve seen before, when the numbers get this big… the snubbing discourse is probably not too far behind.
Caitlin Clark craze dominates, but Atlanta’s star deserves her shine too
When Caitlin Clark’s name pops up in any All-Star conversation, it’s game over for pretty much everyone else in terms of fan hype. But as we ride the Clark wave, someone else is quietly putting together an All-Star-worthy season that deserves attention – Atlanta Dream’s Allisha Gray.
Remember when Atlanta traded multiple first-round picks for her in 2023? That move is aging beautifully. Gray’s been leveling up ever since, but things really started to click in 2024 when she won both the WNBA Kia Skills Challenge and the Starry 3-Point Contest. This season she’s in her bag.
Gray dropped her first-ever 30-point game and is posting career highs all over the stat sheet. So it’s a bit of a head-scratcher to see her fall to No. 14 in the All-Star fan voting. Especially when she has fifth-most minutes played in the league and fifth-most points scored. She’s also fourth in field-goal percentage (among high-volume shooters) and has the fourth-most threes made – just behind heavy-hitters like Ionescu, Plum, and her own teammate Rhyne Howard.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 13: Allisha Gray #15 of the Atlanta Dream shoots against the New York Liberty in the second half at the Barclays Center on June 13, 2023 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Atlanta Dream defeated the New York Liberty 86-79. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
But it’s good that fan voting is only half the equation. The other 50% will come from players and media, with coaches picking the reserves. So there’s still hope. The final rosters drop on July 8th, and we’ll finally get to see how the league views Gray’s breakout year.
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