With the WNBA All-Star starters and reserves now set, picking the actual teams was the only thing left to do. But Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier surprised viewers by pulling off an unexpected trade that had never happened before. Instead of trading players, the All-Star captains shook things up by trading coaches live on ESPN.
Undoubtedly, their playful exchange added a layer of intrigue to the storyline and became a fan favorite.
Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier Trade Coaches Ahead of the All-Star Game
Clark and Collier drafted their respective teams Tuesday night live on ESPN during WNBA Countdown. Going off-script, both captains agreed to a surprise coach trade.
There was no prior approval for the unexpected move, which surprised everyone involved, including the show’s host. Clark announced the trade live, joking that she wasn’t sure if the WNBA had rules for such a move. But Clark made it clear on air that the decision was final.
“I don’t know if this is in the rules; I don’t really care,” Clark said during the broadcast. “But I think we’ve already discussed we are going to trade coaches. He’s going to take her coach, Sandy Brondello. Let’s get it. It’s going be amazing. Sorry, WNBA, if that’s not in the rule. Sorry, ESPN, if that’s not in the rules. But we just made it a rule.”
🚨 TRADE ALERT 🚨
Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier have decided to trade COACHES!
That means Cheryl Reeve will now coach Team Collier and Sandy Brondello will lead Team Clark 👀
2025 @ATT WNBA All-Star pic.twitter.com/LtcZs273SY
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 8, 2025
Clark, who was originally assigned Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, traded her to Collier in exchange for New York Liberty coach Sandy Brondello. The trade allowed Collier to be coached by her own WNBA coach. Meanwhile, Clark joined forces with Brondello, who led the Liberty to the 2024 WNBA championship.
Collier supported the move, saying, “I agree with Cheryl, you know? I agree with the trade. I love Cheryl; she’s my coach here. And you know what, that’s just going to be worse for Team Clark because now we’ve got more chemistry on our side. We know what to expect from each other, so that was a bad move on your part, Caitlin, and we’re taking you down.”
At first, everyone thought the trade was just a fun proposal. However, the WNBA later approved the swap, making it the only official transaction of the night.
Clark and Collier were named captains after finishing as the top two vote-getters in fan voting. Clark led all players with 1,293,526 votes, while Collier followed with 1,176,020. As a result, both were named All-Star starters and earned the honor of drafting their teams.
The WNBA All-Star Game is scheduled for July 19. As the trade becomes official now, Brondello will coach Team Clark, while Reeve will lead Team Collier.
