WNBA hosts All-Star events in Chicago

The WNBA said on July 8 that several marquee events tied to AT&T WNBA All-Star 2026 will be held at the newly opened Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on July 24. The move makes the league the first professional sports league to stage major events at the center, according to the WNBA and local reports. The events are part of All-Star weekend in Chicago, which runs July 23-25. The league said the programming is designed to bring together players, fans and community members around basketball, leadership and youth engagement. ### Which All-Star events are moving to the Obama Presidential Center? The WNBA said the Obama Presidential Center will host All-Star Media Day and Practice, WNBA Changemaker Day and Jr. WNBA Day on Friday, July 24. The official Chicago All-Star site lists the broader weekend as running from July 23 through July 25, with other events elsewhere in the city. (wnba.com) USA Today and Yahoo Sports reported that the center will also be a featured site for player and fan programming during the weekend. The WNBA said the events will be held at the center’s campus as part of a larger citywide schedule. (wnba.com) ### Why is the Obama Presidential Center part of this year’s weekend? The WNBA said the center’s inclusion gives the league a South Side venue built around play, wellness and youth engagement. Yahoo Sports reported that the events are planned for the center’s Home Court, a 60,000-square-foot athletic building. (usatoday.com) Valerie Jarrett, chief executive of the Obama Foundation, said the center views sports as a way to bring people together and create opportunities for future leaders. Cathy Engelbert, the WNBA commissioner, said hosting events there reflects the league’s effort to create connection through basketball and engage communities in meaningful ways. Those statements were carried in the WNBA announcement and follow-up coverage. (sports.yahoo.com) ### What stays at the traditional basketball venues? The WNBA’s main competition schedule remains split across Chicago’s larger arenas. The 3-Point Contest is set for Friday, July 24, at Wintrust Arena, while the All-Star Game is scheduled for Saturday, July 25, at the United Center, according to event listings and follow-up reports. (pr.nba.com) Chicago’s host site says the weekend includes ticketed events, community programming and fan activities across multiple locations. That setup leaves the Obama Presidential Center as one piece of a wider All-Star footprint rather than the only venue. ### What does the league say these events are supposed to do? The WNBA said the July 24 programming is meant to combine basketball activity with leadership and community engagement. (srnnews.com) The Chicago Sun-Times reported that organizers described the events as a way to promote women in leadership while giving fans access to player-driven programming and activations in Chicago. (2026wnbaallstar.com) The league’s own release said the goal is to bring players, fans and the community together for experiences centered on basketball, culture and connection. That language has been echoed in local and national pickup coverage of the announcement. ### What happens next in Chicago? July 23 is the start of the 2026 WNBA All-Star weekend in Chicago, according to the event’s official site. (chicago.suntimes.com) July 24 will bring Media Day, practice, Changemaker Day and Jr. WNBA Day to the Obama Presidential Center, and July 25 will conclude with the All-Star Game at the United Center. (2026wnbaallstar.com) (pr.nba.com)