WNBA: Why Team Collier will triumph in the All-Star Game

The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game is an opportunity for Indiana’s “it” basketball gal to shine.

No, not that one. (Get well soon, CC.) We’re talking about the original “it” hooper from the Hoosier State: Skylar Diggins. Over a decade ago, the South Bend native stunned and starred for the Fighting Irish. She’s back in Indy this weekend, making her eighth WNBA All-Star appearance as a member of Team Collier.

And Diggins, who Collier called “the most competitive person I know” when she selected her in the All-Star draft, is likely determined not to exit Indiana with a loss.

It’s easy for All-Star games to devolve into uncompetitive affairs, where logo 3s (and 4-point shots) are launched with a laugh, uncontested finishes at the rim are allowed with impunity and fancy passes are permitted without pause. Yet, don’t expect Diggins, nor her Team Collier teammate Alyssa Thomas, to abide assumptions.

That terrorizing tandem of competitiveness will come to play, giving Team Collier the edge over Team Clark in Saturday night’s showdown (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

While Josh Felton analyzed the strategic advantages that could benefit Team Collier, it’s a competitive mindset, exemplified by Diggins and Thomas, that can carry Team Collier to victory. While neither earned starting spots, the two reserves can change the tenor of the game. If Team Clark grabs an early lead, expect Diggins and Thomas to inject Team Collier with intensity, talking smack as they halt any highlight-hunting transition plays from Team Clark before exploiting unfocused defense by aggressively attacking the basket for unglamorous but gritty buckets.

Another Team Collier reserve likewise can infuse the All-Star affair with extra energy: Angel Reese. Everyone knows that the WNBA’s best sophomore owns the glass, possessing a rebounding prowess that can earn extra points for Team Collier. Courtney Williams was rightfully excited to learn that Reese was her teammate, as she can confidently fire off middies without fear of missing because she knows Angel will grab the rebound. Reese, however, can do more than just board. After securing any errant shots by Team Clark, she can captain the break, finding the likes of Allisha Gray, Kelsey Plum or Kayla McBride for transition triples.

In addition to all that energetic off-the-bench effort, Team Collier’s first five can provide the precise play required to execute efficiently down the stretch of a close. The captain herself, along with her fellow UConn Huskies, epitomize the kind of fundamentally-sound hoops that makes Geno grin. Collier can unleash her expert footwork before swishing the finish. Breanna Stewart can rise for an unguardable midranger. Paige Bueckers will set up teammates for wideopen scores with no wasted movement. Although a Stanford Cardinal, Nneka Ogwumike likewise takes care of business in a no-fuss, highly-effective fashion.

Combine it all, and Team Collier has the right balance of competitiveness, crazy, consistency and cool to come out on top on Saturday night.