One of the boldest moments during Caitlin Clark‘s picking of the perfect players for her All-Star roster is her shocking trade with opposing captain Napheesa Collier. After all, this wasn’t a trade for stars, but for coaches, with Clark acquiring New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello.
However, Collier, who got Cheryl Reeve, her coach at the Minnesota Lynx, revealed that her transaction with Clark was planned in advance. After the Lynx’s victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday, the former UConn shared an amusing response to the All-Star coaches’ swap.
“Watch out, I might be a GM one day,” Collier joked. “No, I hate that job… I texted Caitlin before to ask if we could trade for Cheryl. So yes, it was pre planned.”
After the daring trade, Caitlin Clark tried to convince Collier to trade Satou Sabally in exchange for Breanna Stewart. However, Phee proposed a counter-proposal: she’ll trade Stewart for CC’s best friend, Aliyah Boston. This deeply cornered Clark, who immediately declined the offer.
Phee tried to trade for Aliyah. Caitlin’s response?
“Absolutely NOT” pic.twitter.com/CMVVe3hNW3
— correlation (@nosyone4) July 8, 2025
Team Caitlin Clark didn’t hold back when it came to stacking the roster. She’s rolling with Aliyah Boston, Sabrina Ionescu, A’ja Wilson, and Satou Sabally in the starting five—though both Wilson and Sabally are out with injuries. Even so, Clark’s bench still brings the heat with Kelsey Mitchell, Gabby Williams, Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Jackie Young, and Kayla Thornton. Not exactly a squad you want to take lightly.
Team Collier responds by using her own firepower. Collier has a strong bench that includes Skylar Diggins, Angel Reese, Kelsey Plum, and others, and up front is Breanna Stewart, Allisha Gray, Nneka Ogwumike, and Paige Bueckers. This one will be loaded from tip-off to the final buzzer, so don’t blink.
ESPN analyst believes Caitlin Clark isn’t yet the face of the WNBA
Speaking on Thursday’s episode of Vibe Check, analyst Andraya Carter believes that it’s still too early for Caitlin Clark to be the cornerstone of the WNBA. Carter argued that the biggest factor in getting the honor was longevity, which she believes is more applicable in stars like A’Ja Wilson.
“To me, when I think about someone being the face of the league, it takes longevity to be the face of something,” Carter said. “So the face of the league changes.”
Who is the face of the W?@Andraya_Carter makes a strong case for A’ja Wilson 🔥
⚡ Stream Vibe Check exclusively on @DisneyPlus pic.twitter.com/9dZzdw32fx
— espnW (@espnW) July 9, 2025
While Carter also made it clear that Cailtin Clark is the most popular and arguably exciting player in the WNBA, she also stressed that championships and the clutch factor are bigger factors in what it means to be the face of the league.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
