Caitlin Clark’s Moment to Shine: WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest Debut. This match is highly anticipated by fans.

Caitlin Clark’s All-Star 3-Point Contest Debut in Doubt After Groin Injury

Caitlin Clark was set to electrify her home crowd in Indianapolis with her highly anticipated debut at the WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest on Friday night. But a groin injury suffered during the Indiana Fever’s victory on Tuesday now threatens to sideline her from the marquee event.

Earlier this year, Clark declined an invitation to participate in an NBA All-Star event, choosing instead to save her first All-Star skills appearance for the WNBA’s biggest stage. The rookie sensation has already missed 10 games this season due to injuries—a left groin strain and a left quad issue—and her latest setback, a right groin injury sustained late against the Connecticut Sun, presents yet another obstacle.

Clark was officially announced Tuesday as one of five sharpshooters slated for the All-Star 3-Point Shootout. If she’s able to compete, she’ll face a star-studded field: defending champion Allisha Gray, all-time record-holder Sabrina Ionescu (who scored a jaw-dropping 37 points in the 2023 final), and fellow All-Stars Kelsey Plum and Sonia Citron. Notably, Ionescu opted to rest ahead of the Paris Olympics and will not defend her title in 2024. Both she and Gray are undefeated in the shootout, while Plum, who made her debut in 2022, finished last that year. For the 2025 season, Plum, Ionescu, and Gray rank third, fourth, and fifth respectively in three-pointers made per game.

Friday night’s festivities will also feature the WNBA Skills Challenge, starring All-Stars Gray, Skylar Diggins, and Courtney Williams, alongside Natasha Cloud and Erica Wheeler. Gray returns to defend her crown after a historic double victory in Phoenix in 2024, marking her third consecutive year in the event since its 2019 inception.

Cloud, Diggins, and Williams are all new faces in the Skills Challenge, while Wheeler—despite being scheduled to compete in 2024 before a canceled flight forced her out—will finally get her chance. Wheeler, who played for the Fever in 2023 and 2024, could be a fan favorite, especially with Indiana native Diggins in the mix.

For the second straight year, Aflac will boost the stakes with additional prize money. While the CBA guarantees each event winner $2,575, Aflac is adding $55,000 for the Skills Challenge and $60,000 for the 3-Point Shootout—matching the NBA All-Star purse. Last year, this bonus was announced only days before the event, catching many players by surprise. Several have since said that a bigger prize pool is a strong incentive to participate—a claim supported by the star-studded All-Star lineup set to thrill fans in Indianapolis.