The stage was perfectly set for Napheesa Collier to face off against her own coach, Cheryl Reeve, at the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game. A storyline fans had been dying to see unfold. But in a twist that no one saw coming, that narrative got thrown out the window. In a first-of-its-kind move, the All-Star coaches were traded by Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier after the draft. And that move even had fans bringing in the CBA negotiations.
When the draft aired on ESPN earlier tonight, it became clear that loyalty was on the menu for both captains. Caitlin Clark had joined wearing a Fever jersey while Napheesa Collier joined wearing an Unrivaled shirt. For Clark, it was about getting her Fever teammates in. For Collier? It was about getting her Lunar Owl teammates, as only one other Lynx made it into the All-Star pool.
Both captains got what they wanted! Clark reunited with her Fever teammates, and Collier stacked her roster with fellow Huskies and Lunar Owls. But what came next? No one saw that coming. After the draft, both captains were allowed to trade players with one another. But instead of swapping players, Clark announced that they were trading coaches.
TRADE ALERT
Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier have decided to trade COACHES!
That means Cheryl Reeve will now coach Team Collier and Sandy Brondello will lead Team Clark
2025 @ATT WNBA All-Star pic.twitter.com/LtcZs273SY
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 8, 2025
“I don’t know if this is in the rules. I don’t really care…Sandy Brondello let’s get it. Sorry WNBA that’s not in the rules. Sorry ESPN that’s not in the rule. But we just made it a rule,” said Clark. And fans absolutely loved how Clark and Phee shook things up and made history. For the first time ever in WNBA All-Star Game history, the coaches were traded. Naturally, social media exploded with reactions.
Fans react to Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier trading coaches
“Absolute sigma move by CC and Phee, I love it ,” one fan commented while another joined in saying, “boss move of the night.” And honestly, can you blame them? These two are currently MVP candidates! Collier is putting up 24.3 points and 8 rebounds per game, while Clark is dishing out 18.2 points and 8.9 assists. Watching two of the W’s biggest stars make history in real time? This is what we all want to see. Not to forget that Napheesa Collier has never shied away from doing what the league does not – Unrivaled league being the biggest example.
And while Caitlin Clark’s swagger is evident every time she steps on the court, she doesn’t get nearly enough credit for carrying that same confidence off the court. Time and again, she has made it clear that it’s “unacceptable” to use her name to push hateful agendas. And one thing she said last year? It deserves to be framed on all our walls. “Some of the women in this league were my biggest idols and role models growing up… Treat them how you would want to be treated. I think that’s very simple,” she had said, and yes, VERY SIMPLE.
“Caitlin really runs the league ,” one fan said. And they are partially right! Clark’s impact since entering the W has been nothing short of historic. Her regular-season games averaged 1.2 million viewers, which is nearly 200% more than the non-Clark games. Overall, TV viewership has also seen a big rise of 300%, and Fever games alone made up 45% of the league’s total broadcast value last year.
The Caitlin Clark effect doesn’t stop here! A 500% jump in merchandise sales was also noted last year. And to further understand just how crucial the Indiana guard is for the W, economic expert Dr. Ryan Brewer believes Caitlin Clark contributed to 26.5% of the revenue the WNBA generated last year! So when someone says, “It’s CC world, and everyone else plays and coaches in it.” Are they wrong? That’s for you to decide. But again, Clark has a message for the same: “This league has kind of been built on Black players… The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players… I have to continue to try to change that.”
“She said “ I dont really care” bring her to CBA negotation now!!” said one fan, making a clear demand. Currently, the WNBPA is in the thick of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the league. Led by Nneka Ogwumike, the committee includes big names like Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Kelsey Plum, and even Clark’s Fever teammate, Sophie Cunningham.
And Collier has made it clear that while no one wants a lockout, the players are ready for all possibilities if they do not get what they deserve. “We get such a small percentage of revenue share right now that affects our salary. We’re asking for a bigger cut of that, like more equitable to what the men’s revenue share is,” she said. “It wouldn’t get us anywhere close to their salaries. We’re asking for the same cut of the pie.”
Also, while Clark has not said much on the subject, she does not need to sit on the Union Committee to make her point. While she might not be officially holding the mic, just having her in the room could tip the scales. As former NBA union lawyer Hal Biagas put it, Clark’s star power speaks volumes, sometimes louder than the actual negotiators. “The truth is Caitlin has an outsized voice because of her fame and popularity,” Biagas said. “The question is, how does she use it, and how does the [union] want her to use it?” Now, doesn’t that remind you of someone?
We are talking about Michael Jordan. When Billy Hunter stepped into his role as head of the NBA players’ union, he decided to aim high, really high. He went straight to the top and asked Michael Jordan if he’d consider taking on the gig as union president. Jordan politely declined. But to his credit, MJ didn’t just vanish from the scene. As Jim McIlvaine put it, he still showed up when it counted. “I think nobody went out of their way to help the league more than Michael Jordan,” McIlvaine said. “He was such a meal ticket for everybody that all the owners perked up when he showed up. Suddenly, they were ready to talk and negotiate.”
So, while Clark joining the committee wouldn’t necessarily speed up the whole negotiations, given how complex the case is. Her presence would certainly send a strong message that she’s not just here to break records, she’s here to elevate the standard for everyone in the league.
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