Well, the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game is literally rewriting its rulebook. The league ditched the traditional East vs. West format and introduced some exciting changes – most notably, the four-point shot for the first time ever. Players could now score from four designated zones, each 28 feet from the hoop. And it worked. The pace picked up fast, clearly visible with Team Clark trailing Team Collier 80–106 early in the third quarter. But still, something felt missing. And Napheesa Collier and the broadcasters had plenty to say about that.
In fact, Napheesa put her demand clear as day before the game even tipped off. She was overheard chatting with fellow team captain Caitlin Clark after their pregame pressers, and the conversation naturally turned to the new four-point shot. Collier, half-joking but fully serious, said what everyone was thinking: “Caitlin, i think since you’re not playing and the 4 point shot was really for you,” referring to Clark’s supernatural range. Clark, pretty typically, replied, “It’s really not even that far though”. But Collier wasn’t letting that slide. Channeling full-on playful energy, she upped the ante with a grin: “Every 4 point shot that’s made you should take a shot“. Well, that did not happen. However, the broadcasters did not let the 4-point celebration talk die there.
It all came to light when Team Clark attempted a four-point shot and the referee signaled it with four fingers. But commentators Rebecca Lobo and Ryan Ruocco had a different idea. No, it wasn’t about the shot’s distance or any technical detail. They simply suggested that instead of the standard hand gesture, players should celebrate each four-pointer with a dance move.
“Yes, I would like to say like it’s an exciting four point shot.Don’t just put both hands in the air, like do a dance move” Rebecca said, and Ryan agreed. And honestly, they have a point. This wasn’t just another scoring option; it was a moment that deserved some flair. With the crowd erupting every time someone nailed one from deep, the four-point shot quickly became the star of the night. So maybe it’s not just Cathy Engelbert who’d enjoy the dancing idea—Adam Silver might want to borrow it for the NBA, too. Even Caitlin Clark, sidelined with a groin injury, couldn’t resist chiming in from the bench: “My team didn’t realize how fast four-point shots would add up.”
And, she wasn’t wrong. At one point, Team Collier held a 30-point lead, fueled by a barrage of deep threes and four-pointers that left Team Clark struggling to keep up. That’s why the broadcast team’s playful commentary about inventing a dance move for every four-pointer may have sounded whimsical, but it perfectly captured the energy the league aimed for with this revamped format. From a condensed 20-second shot clock to live substitutions, the game’s pace was faster and the action more continuous than ever. Add in the no-free-throws rule – where fouls result in automatic points, except in the last two minutes and OT – and the court was set for more highlight-reel moments and fewer stoppages.
Fun, right? It really was. Team Collier powered through to win 151–131, marking the highest team total in All-Star history, thanks to MVP candidate Napheesa Collier’s dominant 36-point performance. And while Team Clark fell short on the scoreboard, the effort was never in doubt!
With Clark, would it have been any different?
Well, most of the points for Team Clark came from the bench, with 86 of those 131 points led by rookie Kiki Iriafen’s impressive 17-point outing. On the other hand, the starters contributed just 45 points, with the least coming from Jackie Young, who played only one minute, and A’ja Wilson, who scored four points in 12 minutes.
Well, that’s how the game played out, but it definitely would’ve looked different if Caitlin Clark had been on the court to lead her team. After all, we’ve seen Caitlin Clark drain shots from insane distances. Remember her 35-foot bomb against the Brazilian national team during a preseason game? Clark sank that three-pointer from a foot or so behind where she launched her historic shot to break the NCAA scoring record.
And as if that wasn’t enough, she delivered a lights-out performance on June 14, hitting three logo threes in a row. We all know she’s one of the few WNBA players truly capable of hitting shots from the newly introduced four-point zones, set 28 feet out.
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