WNBA All-Star Game MVP Napheesa Collier Leads Team Collier to Dominant Victory Over Team Clark

WNBA All-Star Game MVP Napheesa Collier scored a record 36 points for Team Collier, who defeated Team Clark 151-131. Collier's performance mirrored her strong regular-season play, keeping her in the MVP conversation. The game was held in Indiana, marking the first time the league's midseason showcase was held in the state. The players wore "Pay Us What You Owe Us" shirts to highlight their desire for higher salaries in the new collective bargaining agreement.

Napheesa Collier's record-breaking performance led Team Collier to a decisive 151-131 victory over Team Clark in the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game held in Indianapolis. The game marked the first time the annual showcase was held in Indiana, and the players' collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations were a significant backdrop to the event.

Collier, the current MVP favorite, posted an All-Star Game record 36 points on 13-of-16 shooting, plus nine rebounds. Her performance mirrored her strong regular-season play, keeping her in the MVP conversation. Collier officially broke the record on a 3-pointer with an assist from Seattle Storm star Skylar Diggins, who set her own All-Star record with her 12th assist on the same play.

Diggins finished with a triple-double on 14 assists, plus 11 points and 11 rebounds, the first triple-double ever in a WNBA All-Star Game. Team Collier's 151 points were also an All-Star scoring record, with seven different players in double digits. Clark's Indiana Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell led her team with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Team Clark played without its namesake after she aggravated a groin injury this week, keeping her out of a competition that was almost certainly set up with her in mind as the league's marquee star.

The game featured four special rules, including a 4-point shot, with areas for those shots designated with four circles (two on each side of the court) located 28 feet from the rim. The players were intrigued by these rules, which added a lively element to the game. Other special rules included live substitutions (one player substitution allowed per possession), a 20-second shot clock, and the elimination of free throws until the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. Instead of free throws, players who were fouled were awarded the maximum number of points for the number of free throws they would have attempted given the foul.

The players entered the game with a serious tone, wearing "Pay Us What You Owe Us" shirts to highlight their desire for higher salaries in the new CBA. The All-Star Game was ultimately representative of the WNBA's state of affairs over the past few years: increased star power, increasing tension over a brewing CBA fight, and Clark's face everywhere, even when she's not playing.

References:
[1] https://sports.yahoo.com/wnba/live/wnba-all-star-2025-napheesa-collier-scores-record-36-points-in-blowout-of-caitlin-clarks-squad-230122249.html
[2] https://www.usnews.com/news/sports/articles/2025-07-19/napheesa-colliers-record-breaking-performance-leads-her-team-to-victory-in-wnba-all-star-game
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6504281/2025/07/19/wnba-all-star-result-napheesa-collier-caitlin-clark/