Caitlin Clark named 2025 WNBA All-Star Game Captain Indiana Fever, in conjunction with the Women’s National Basketball Association, has announced Caitlin Clark as one of two captains for the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game, subsequently earning her second consecutive WNBA All-Star selection. Captains for the 2025 WNBA All-Star game, hosted at the Fever’s home of Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, were selected by a combination of fan, player and media votes. Clark received the most votes across the WNBA, a total of 1,293,526, to earn her first captain nod. The remaining eight starters for the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game were announced Monday Night. Clark and fellow captain Napheesa Collier, will select rosters for the upcoming game via draft, with results aired tonight at 7pm as part of an hourlong edition of ESPN’s WNBA Countdown, presented by Google.
In her sophomore season, Clark has averaged 18.2 points per game, 8.9 assists per game and 5.0 rebounds per game. Clark opened the 2025 season with a triple double against Chicago Sky, recording 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. During the same game Clark recorded her 350th career assist, becoming the fastest to do so in WNBA history, while also recording her 800th career point, becoming the fourth fastest to do so in WNBA history, hitting both marks in just 42 games played. In her nine games played Clark has recorded four double doubles, against Chicago Sky, Atlanta Dream, New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces. On June 14, against the Liberty, Clark scored 32 points, three off her career high, including seven three pointers and 11 field goals, both career highs, also totaling 25 points in the first half – her most scored in a single half. This season Clark has also eclipsed 250 rebounds in her WNBA career, becoming the fastest point guard in WNBA history to do so, accomplishing it in 44 games and become the fastest player in WNBA history to record 750+ points, 250+ rebounds and 250+ assists. With her WNBA All-Star selection, Clark joins current teammates Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, as well as Tamika Catchings and Katie Douglas as the only Indiana Fever players to earn multiple nominations.
Short Tenured Indiana University Men’s Basketball Center Luke Fischer joins the Assembly Ball TBT Squad If you blinked you might have missed Luke Fischer’s Indiana basketball career. But the 6-foot-11 Fischer is reuniting with some of his former IU teammates on the Assembly Ball IU alumni team in the 2025 edition of the basketball tournament. A top 100 recruit coming out of high school in the class of 2013, Fischer left IU before the calendar hit 2014. Seeing a limited role behind Noah Vonleh, he averaged 2.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 13 games for IU. Fischer was part of a highly touted recruiting class that also included Vonleh, Troy Williams, Stanford Robinson and Devin Davis. The Wisconsin native finished his career at Marquette and averaged 10.3 points and 5.2 rebounds over his college career. Now 30, Fischer went undrafted in 2017 and has since played overseas, most recently in Spain. He averaged 10.6 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 63.2% in 2024-25.
Assembly Ball is hosting The Basketball Tournament’s (TBT) regional alongside All Good Dawgs (Butler alumni) at Hinkle Fieldhouse from July 19–22. While Indiana ties aren’t mandatory, there’s a heavy IU presence on the team, including Miller Kopp, Juwan Morgan, Yogi Ferrell, Jordan Hulls, Race Thompson, Al Durham, James Blackmon Jr. and Troy Williams. Christian Watford and A.J. Guyton are also involved. Fischer played with Ferrell and Williams during his brief stay in Bloomington. Assembly Ball will play Fail Harder on Saturday, July 19 at 4 p.m. ET on FS1. If they win they’ll play again on Monday, July 21, at 8 p.m.
Former Indiana University Baseball Pitcher Jack Perkins gets his First Career MLB Save with the Athletics On the big stage at Yankee Stadium, Jack Perkins came through in a key situation for the Athletics. In his second major league appearance, the right-handed pitcher out of Indiana University entered Saturday’s game with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning against the New York Yankees. He wound up going the distance, pitching 3.1 scoreless innings with one hit, two walks and three strikeouts. The first batter he faced was Giancarlo Stanton, who has 429 career home runs but lined out to end the inning. Perkins walked a batter in the seventh, but induced an inning-ending double play against Yankees catcher Austin Wells.
In the eighth, DJ LeMahieu reached second base after a single and a wild pitch. But Perkins worked out of trouble with two strikeouts and a pop out. He faced a similar situation in the ninth after walking Aaron Judge, who advanced to second base on a defensive indifference. But Perkins got Stanton to pop out, then struck out Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a sweeper. Athletics third baseman Max Muncy made a nice play to end the game, fielding a broken-bat ground ball from Anthony Volpe and tagging out Judge for the final out. Since the Athletics promoted Perkins from Triple-A, he’s had two impressive outings. In his MLB debut on June 22 against Cleveland, he pitched three scoreless innings with one hit, zero walks and two strikeouts. Add Saturday’s effort, and Perkins hasn’t allowed a run in his first 6.1 innings in the big leagues.
Ball State University Men’s Tennis Names Former Player Gene Orlando as Head Coach Ball State Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell has announced the hiring of former Ball State men’s tennis standout and hall of famer, Gene Orlando, as the next head coach of the Cardinals. Orlando takes over the reins from former head coach Bill Richards who recently announced his retirement after 53 years at the helm of the men’s tennis program. “I am delighted to name Gene Orlando as our new men’s tennis head coach,” said Mitchell. “Coach Orlando’s extensive coaching experience, his love for Ball State and his proven ability to develop student-athletes give me great confidence that he will continue the culture of excellence within our program.”
Orlando has spent the last three seasons as Richards’ assistant coach. Prior to returning to his alma mater, Orlando was the head coach at Michigan State for 31 seasons before retiring after the 2022 campaign. The winningest men’s tennis coach in MSU history, with 361 victories, he was also the longest-tenured men’s tennis coach in the Big Ten Conference. “I am honored and thrilled to continue on Coach Richards legacy as the new men’s tennis coach,” Orlando said. “Returning to my alma mater and to lead our Cardinals’ tennis program fills me with immense passion and sincere gratitude. This opportunity unites all our alumni, our families and our fans in Coach Richards’ legacy. I offer sincere thanks to athletic director Jeff Mitchell and senior associate athletic director Emma Kumar for their support and commitment to our tennis program and Cardinal Athletics.
At Michigan State, Orlando led the Spartans to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013 and had four doubles teams and four singles compete at the NCAA Championships. His student-athletes earned All-Big Ten honors 21 times. In 2015, he mentored the first All-American doubles tandem in Michigan State history as Harry Jadun and John Patrick Mullane advanced to the national semifinals. He also helped the Spartans win a single season record 18 matches in 2011 and 2012. A 1987 graduate of Ball State, Orlando lettered in tennis from 1983 to 1987 and helped the Cardinals claim four straight Mid-American Conference championships and post a four-year MAC league mark of 29-0. Orlando won the 1987 MAC No. 3 singles title after winning the league’s No. 2 doubles and No. 4 singles crowns in 1986. He helped Ball State earn an 83-14 record over his career and served as a graduate assistant coach in 1987-88. As a graduate assistant, he helped the Cardinals earn another MAC crown.
“I couldn’t be more pleased that Gene will be taking over for me as the next head coach at Ball State,” Richards said. “He is a big part of our history and tradition as a great player and graduate assistant coach. He is a tremendous coach and person as well as a leader and motivator. He brings a world of experience after coaching at the Power-4 level for many years. He has also been very engaged with our alumni through the years and with our recent teams while his son Vince was an outstanding member of our team. All these factors make him the perfect hire. I want to thank Jeff Mitchell and Emma Kumar for making this transition happen. I’m excited about the future of the program.” Vince Orlando also was a four-year letterwinner for the Cardinals and was an assistant coach at Michigan State following his graduation from Ball State in 2024. He was recently hired as an assistant coach for Ole Miss.
Indianapolis Native Oscar Robertson to Receive the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage Oscar Robertson, the Indianapolis native who led Crispus Attucks High School to the boys’ state basketball title in 1955 and 1956 and enjoyed record-setting careers in college and the NBA, will be honored at the 2025 ESPYS next Wednesday. Robertson, 86, will receive the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for his pivotal role in establishing free agency in the NBA. The annual award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions beyond the field of play. Previous Arthur Ashe Award for Courage recipients include Bill Russell and Maya Moore. Robertson, who was president of the NBA Players Association from 1965 to 1974, led one of the most important labor battles in American professional sports history. In 1970, Robertson filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NBA to block the NBA-ABA merger and challenge restrictive contract conditions. Despite threats from league owners and the risk of losing his career, Robertson persisted in his fight. The lawsuit led to the 1976 settlement known as the “Oscar Robertson Rule,” which introduced restricted free agency and paved the way for future labor advancements in sports.
After winning two state titles and being named Indiana Mr. Basketball in 1956, Robertson moved to the University of Cincinnati. He excelled with the Barcats, recording an average of 33.8 points per game. He won the national scoring title in each of his three years in Cincinnati and set 14 NCAA and 19 school records. Robertson and the late Jerry West co-captained the U.S. men’s basketball team to a gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. That same year, he was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals and took home the Rookie of the Year Award in 1961. In the 1961-62 season, Robertson became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season, with 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists. He also set the record for the most triple-doubles in one season with 41, a record that would stand until Russell Westbrook recorded 42 in 2016-17.
Before the 1970-71 season, Robertson was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. With a young player named Lew Alcindor (who would change his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Robertson led the Bucks to the 1971 NBA Championship. Robertson retired from the NBA in 1974 as a 12-time All-Star, a three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP, a 9-time All-NBA First Team Selection, and a six-time NBA assists leader. His No. 14 was retired by the Sacramento Kings for his time with Cincinnati, and his No. 1 was retired by the Bucks. He is a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, having joined the hall in 1980 for his individual career, and again in 2010 as a member of the 1960 Olympics team and president of the NBA Players Association. Decades after his success at Crispus Attucks, Robertson remains a familiar face in Indianapolis. He joined Reggie Miller courtside during Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The ESPYS helps raise awareness and funds for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the charity founded by ESPN and the late basketball coach Jim Valvano at the first ESPYS in 1993. ESPN has helped raise more than $265 million for the V Foundation over the past 32 years. The 2025 ESPYS will be held at The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 16, at 8 p.m. EDT.
Former Indiana Pacer Bojan Bogdanovic announces his Retirement after 10 NBA Seasons Former Indiana Pacers forward Bojan Bogdanović has announced his retirement from the NBA after 10 seasons. In a social media post made Sunday Bogdanović said it was time to “close a chapter” in his life, citing an ongoing foot injury. “After 14 months of battling a foot injury, two surgeries and countless efforts to get back on the court, the time has come to close a chapter,” Bogdanović wrote. Bogdanović, now 36, began his NBA career with the Brooklyn Nets in 2014 after starting his basketball career in his native Europe. He was traded to the Washington Wizards in February 2017 before signing with the Pacers as a free agent in July.
During his tenure with the Pacers, he found himself in the starting rotation, complementing the then-newly acquired Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis in the starting five. He shot around 48% from the field and averaged around 3.5 rebounds per game in his two seasons in Indiana. During the 2018-19 season, he posted a then-career high of 18 points per game. That season, he was also the team’s leading scorer. The Pacers made the playoffs both seasons Bogdanović was on the roster.
His tenure with the team ended during that 18-19 offseason when he elected to test the waters of free agency, eventually signing a 4-year, $73 million deal with the Utah Jazz. He played three out of those four years with the Jazz before being traded in September 2022 to the Detroit Pistons. After a season and a half with the Pistons, Bogdanović was traded to the New York Knicks in February 2024, but played in just 29 games before having season-ending surgeries on is foot and wrist.