The WNBA All-Star Game is set for Saturday, July 25, at the United Center in Chicago.
Ahead of the matchup, the Obama Presidential Center will help set the stage with a series of All-Star events, including Media Day, Changemaker Day and Junior WNBA Day.
This year’s showcase arrives at a moment when interest in women’s professional basketball continues to surge.
Chicago most recently hosted the WNBA All-Star Game in 2022.
Nadia Rawlinson, co-owner and operating chairman of the Chicago Sky, said the league and the sport have entered a very different era since then.
“The thing that’s changed the most is the world finally caught up to what has already been true. We’ve always had great talent. Always had great players. We’ve always had great stories. What was missing was the investment, the distribution, and quite honestly, the belief. And once we have those components, everything showed up and converged right at the right moment,” Rawlinson said.
Rawlinson also emphasized why it matters for Chicago to be at the forefront of that investment.
“When you invest in people, performance follows. And I think that’s indicative of what we’ve committed to around building our practice facility, to be the best performance center that any player could play in,” she said.
Rawlinson says the last time Chicago hosted the All-Star game, they were showcasing the league.
“Since then, a lot has changed, a lot has happened. In all great ways. And this time we are showcasing this particular moment. This is where the league is at some of the height of its momentum. This is the 30th Anniversary of the league itself. And they are doing it in one of the best sports cities in the world,” she said.
When the final buzzer sounds at the All-Star Game, Rawlinson says there are three things that she wants people to feel as they leave: “One, is the players. I want us to honor the players. I want the players to feel like we celebrated them as the global stars that they are. That would be amazing. I also want Chicago to show up and show out and be proud that we hosted an amazing weekend with people from around the U.S. to come and experience the best of what Chicago has to offer, at the best time of year, with the best sport that’s out there. And for everyone to be proud that they were here and a part of it. Fans, kids, community leaders, business partners, everyone. And finally, I must say, because I’m the mom of a two and a half year old daughter, that I hope that there’s a little girl that will go to one of those parks, Robichaux or Hamilton Park, and walk up to that three point line and envision what she can be.”
