As the athlete of the hour, Caitlin Clark’s name is being bandied about as a possible star attraction at next year’s NBA All-Star game.
This year, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry of the NBA and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu of the Women’s NBA held a three-point duel that Curry won as part of the All-Star festivities.
Commentator Shams Charania said last week that Clark could be part of an expanded return match.
Curry is likely to be competing against Ionescu this year, Chariana said. A two-against-two contest, featuring Curry and Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson against Ionescu and Clark is also a possibility, he said.
“At this point, Stephen Curry versus Sabrina Ionescu is very likely for next year,” he said on FanDuel’s “Run It Back” in a video posted to X.
“I’m told with Caitlin Clark and potentially Klay Thompson to make it 2v2,” he said.
“At this point Stephen Curry versus Sabrina Ionescu is very likely for next year…I’m told with Caitlin Clark and potentially Klay Thompson to make it 2v2.”@ShamsCharania updates on next years #NBA All Star
📺: https://t.co/wdT8I0ST8g pic.twitter.com/TNprQELkIV— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) April 2, 2024
In a piece published Tuesday on the sports news site Bleacher Report, writer Scott Polacek, noted that “Clark has captured the attention of the nation as a record-breaking superstar with the Hawkeyes.”
Would you like to see Caitlin Clark compete against male players?
“Shooting from the NBA line will not be a problem for her either, as one of her signature moves is launching three-pointers from well beyond the arc,” he wrote.
“Clark was appointment viewing in every arena she played in this season, and teaming her with an established WNBA star like Ionescu to face off against the Splash Brothers will only add more excitement to an event that could be trending toward becoming an annual tradition.”
In the runup to the national championship game, Clark’s star power was attracting multiple offers, including a $5 million deal to play 10 games against ex-NBA men in the Big3 league, a 12-team league that plays a version of basketball where teams field three players each on a half-court.
“We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship. But I won’t deny what’s now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn’t we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3,” league founder Ice Cube posted on X.
Clark was also invited to USA Basketball’s training camp in preparation for the Paris Olympics in July and August, according to USA Today.
However, while the camp was in progress last week, Clark was marching her Iowa Hawkeyes closer to Sunday’s title game.
“Anytime you’re invited to do anything for USA Basketball, it’s a tremendous honor,” Clark said, according to USA Today. “For me it was a win-win, either doing that or this. Obviously, this was where my focus was. I wanted to get back to the Final Four with this group.”
Clark could still make the team, and indicated that she is not turning her back on that opportunity if it arises.
“I think growing up, your dream is always to be on the national team and play for the national team,” she said, according to USA Today. “A lot of those players that are in that pool (now) are my idols. Those are people I grew up watching and wanting to be like.”
Regardless of what happens next, Clark is expected to be taken first in the WNBA draft. The Indiana Fever has the top pick.
