WNBA All-Star Game New Rules and Clark Sitting Out
YAHOO SPORTS - Caitlin Clark’s logo 3s have electrified women’s basketball. Those shots will be encouraged for everyone to take in this year’s WNBA All-Star Game.
The AT&T 4-point shot is one of four special rules that will be included during Saturday’s midseason exhibition in Indianapolis. Gainbridge Fieldhouse will feature four 4-point shot zones, two on each half of the court, above the 3-point line and 28 feet from the rim. That’s six feet farther than the current arc.
Any player who makes a long-range shot from one of those zones will be awarded four points.
The other three rules the W is introducing for this year’s All-Star game are also scoring friendly.
The shot clock will be set at 20 seconds, four second shorter than it normally is, but it’ll still be reset to 14 seconds after an offensive rebound. This will likely result in more offensive possessions.
Speaking of offensive possessions, that’s when teams can orchestrate liveplay substitutions reminiscent of hockey. There won’t be line shifts, however, one player substitution is permitted per possession, as long as that entering player takes the hardwood in the backcourt between the 28-foot mark and the half-court line and doesn’t touch the ball until they cross half court. The player subbing out must exit in that same backcourt zone that the incoming players enters from.
These live-play substitutions can only occur while the substituting team has the ball in its backcourt. Any deviation from those substitution parameters will result in a turnover.
The W is scrapping just about free throw from this year’sAll-Star Game. While fouls will still be assessed, physical free throws won’t be attempted until the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and, if necessary, during the entirety of any overtime periods.
In all other instances, fouled players will be given the maximum available points for the number of free throws they’d normally attempt in a given situation.
The W has more talent than ever, and the league clearly wants to promote that talent with a high-octane, high-scoring All-Star Game.
Play will be fast, points will be had in bunches and maybe logo 3s — er, 4s — will be falling left and right.
Update on Caitlin Clark
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will not participate in this weekend’s WNBA All-Star events, she announced via the team Thursday, after she suffered a right groin injury Tuesday.
“I’m so excited for Indy to host WNBA All-Star this weekend. ... I know this will be the best All-Star yet,” Clark said in a statement. “I am incredibly sad and disappointed to say I can’t participate in the 3-Point Contest or the All-Star Game. I have to rest my body. I will still be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for all the action and I’m looking forward to helping Sandy Brondello coach our team to a win.”
For the 3-point contest, Clark’s Fever teammate Lexie Hull was named as her replacement by the WNBA on Friday.