The WNBA All-Star Game is heading to the Windy City.
The WNBA announced Thursday that the 2026 All-Star Game will take place in Chicago on Saturday, July 25, at the United Center. The Chicago Sky will serve as the de facto hosts even though the game will take place in the home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls.
“The WNBA is thrilled to bring AT&T WNBA All-Star back to Chicago,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. “Together with the Chicago Sky, we look forward to celebrating the game’s brightest stars, engaging WNBA fans around the world, and showcasing the energy of one of basketball’s most iconic cities.”
It will mark the second straight year the annual event heads to a city of one of the league’s brightest young stars.
The 2025 All-Star Game took place in Indianapolis, which is the home of Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever. Next year’s game will take place in the home of Angel Reese’s Sky.
Of course, that is assuming Reese will even be on the Sky by the time the All-Star Game happens.
There is no shortage of speculation and trade rumors surrounding Reese after she publicly called out the team’s roster building around her. Chicago is 23-61 since selecting the LSU product with the No. 7 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft and is yet to make the playoffs with her on the roster.
However, she was an All-Star in each of her first two seasons and would surely be under the spotlight in Chicago if she makes the game again for a third straight year, whether she is on the Sky or a different team.
There is also the question about whether there will be a 2026 All-Star Game because it still isn’t a certainty there will be a 2026 season. After all, the league and the WNBA Players’ Association are at an impasse when it comes to negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement.
The agreement in place expires at the end of the month, although the two sides could agree to extend it in order to continue negotiations on the next one. Revenue sharing is a major sticking point, especially during a time of unprecedented growth and a boom in popularity.
As the negotiations continue, the league still has to work under the assumption there will be a 2026 season. And it did so Thursday when it announced the All-Star Game is headed to Chicago.
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