WNBA: Napheesa Collier prioritizes UConn, Unrivaled in All-Star draft

Before drafting her team for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, captain Napheesa Collier didn’t obfuscate her intentions, with the UConn alum and Unrivaled co-founder announcing she wanted her squad to feature her fellow Huskies and Lunar Owls—and she mostly succeeded.

After Caitlin Clark selected her WNBA teammate Aliyah Boston with the first pick, Collier grabbed Breanna Stewart, who met both Collier’s UConn and and Unrivaled credentials. With Clark taking Sabrina Ionescu with her second pick, Collier then nabbed her fellow Lunar Owl Allisha Gray. That left reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson for Clark’s third selection, giving her team two national championship-winning South Carolina Gamecocks. Collier then gambled, temporarily passing on her “baby Husky” Paige Bueckers to draft WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike; Collier also is one of the union’s vice presidents. Clark did not steal Bueckers from Collier, instead opting for another Oregon Duck in Satou Sabally.

That left Team Clark with a Hawkeye-Gamecocks-Ducks starting five, while Team Collier’s starters are of UConn-Unrivaled-union affiliations.

In the second round, both players opted for their WNBA teammates with their first picks, with Collier choosing Courtney Williams, who also is her Lunar Owl teammate in Unrivaled, and Clark picking Kelsey Mitchell. After Collier secured all her Lunar Owls by selecting Skylar Diggins, Clark finally decided to disrupt Collier’s ideal roster by taking a former Husky in Gabby Williams. From there, Collier filled out her squad with Unrivaled players in Angel Reese, Alyssa Thomas, Kelsey Plum and Rhyne Howard. (Plum originally signed with Unrivaled before choosing to opt out of the inaugural season for personal reasons.) Clark elected to add rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen before rounding out her roster with Jackie Young and Kayla Thornton.

While no trade of players occurred, the captains did swap coaches, meaning Team Clark will now be led by Sandy Brondello and Team Collier will be under Cheryl Reeve.

TEAM CLARK

Starters: Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever), Aliyah Boston (Fever), Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty), A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces), Satou Sabally (Phoenix Mercury)

Reserves: Kelsey Mitchell (Fever), Gabby Williams (Seattle Storm), Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics), Kiki Iriafen (Mystics), Jackie Young (Aces), Kayla Thornton (Golden State Valkyries)

Head coach: Sandy Brondello (Liberty)

TEAM COLLIER

Starters: Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Breanna Stewart (Liberty), Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream), Nneka Ogwumike (Storm), Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings)

Reserves: Courtney Williams (Lynx), Skylar Diggins (Storm), Angel Reese (Chicago Sky), Alyssa Thomas (Mercury), Kelsey Plum (Los Angeles Sparks), Rhyne Howard (Dream)

Head coach: Cheryl Reeve (Lynx)

In the game that followed the draft, a 87-78 New York Liberty win over the Las Vegas Aces, A’ja Wilson suffered a right wrist injury in the second quarter that eventually sidelined her for the remainder of the contest; she is set for a MRI. If the injury is serious and jeopardizes Wilson’s availability for the All-Star Game, her absence would be a blow to Team Clark, even if Clark’s squad would then add one of several All-Star-worthy snubs.