The NBA is shifting gears. No, not for the playoffs but also last-minute trades. Instead, the league is gearing up for its biggest showcase—the 2025 All-Star Weekend at Chase Center. Four teams will battle: Team Shaq, Team Chuck, Team Kenny, and Team Candice. But the real magic? It’s beyond the regular rosters. Meanwhile, San Francisco will be electric. But, of course, the drama will find its way in—because what’s All-Star Weekend without a little heartbreak? Just before the festivities, Commissioner Adam Silver received a blow. A note. A name. Caitlin Clark. And disappointment is written all over it.

With five days to go, the Bay Area is buzzing as the NBA’s biggest stars are ready to shine. But what about the man at the top? What’s Adam Silver thinking? Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard got the answer. Or at least, part of it. The Commissioner has already taken one hit not too long ago when he announced a change in the format of the ASG. Now, the three-point contest might be delivering the second.

Kawakami spilled the truth—the league dreamed of a star-studded shootout: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Sabrina Ionescu, and Caitlin Clark. A spectacle. A showdown. But guess what? It’s not happening. Why? Caitlin Clark said no. Now, is Adam Silver a little heartbroken? Maybe. Can you blame him? The moment had all the makings of history. Yet, just like that, it slipped away.

Thus clearing his stance on the heartbreak, the commissioner said: “I can only say in terms of Caitlin, I was not disappointed the slightest [that she declined and said she wanted to save her debut for the WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest].” He added: “Because, of course, we’re the league of the NBA and the WNBA. She did not participate in the 3-Point Contest in the WNBA All-Star Game last year, so I was thrilled when she said, “I’m going to make my debut at the Indiana All-Star Game in the WNBA 3-Point Contest.” So it made perfect sense to me.”

Moreover, “We have to divvy up the spoils among our many leagues. And the fact that she’s going to showcase her talents in Indianapolis, I think, is just fantastic.” Earlier in January, there had been talks about Clark being invited to take up a 3-point shooting challenge alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

It was more like recreating the Curry and Ionescu moment from the 2024 All-Star games. However, the 23-year-old had other plans regarding her All-Star debut. Thus, she turned down the offer, handing a heartbreak to Adam Silver.

Besides, Adam Silver has bigger headaches. First, he needs to decide—pure basketball or a show like never before? Fans want both. Can he deliver? More importantly, whispers of trouble lurk in the shadows. If he’s not careful, his dream All-Star weekend might turn into a nightmare.

Caitlin Clark’s All-Star rejection and other unknown issues could become the All-Star Games’ misery

Caitlin Clark won’t be lighting up the NBA All-Star Weekend. The Indiana Fever star was invited to a special 3-point showdown with “the likes of Steph Curry,” but she’s sitting this one out. Why? Simple. “She wants her first 3-point contest to be at WNBA All-Star in Indianapolis this summer,” her reps at Excel Sports confirmed. The hype had been building for months, especially after ESPN’s Shams Charania teased talks of a dream shootout—Curry, Clark, Sabrina Ionescu, and Klay Thompson. But now? That dream will have to wait.

Meanwhile, Adam Silver‘s honest response to the question: “Do you know what you’re going to do with something like that next weekend?” could add to the worries of the fans. Well, the star-studded 3-point shootout isn’t happening, but surely there’s something else that Silver & Co. have planned out, right? “It’s not clear yet what we’re going to have on the weekend…We’re still working through some issues for next weekend in terms of what we will do as sort of an encore to Steph and Sabrina from last year.”

Simply put, the NBA is still figuring out how to follow up last year’s epic Steph Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu showdown with something just as exciting for this All-Star Weekend. So, with Caitlin Clark pulling out of her debut All-Star experience it looks like Adam Silver’s strategies have shaken up a bit. However, there is no doubt that he will try to brew up something before the weekend of basketball entertainment rolls out. Besides, it’s going to be an important day not just for the league as their battle for viewership and audience continues to haunt them.