The 2026 WNBA All-Star Game is heading back to the Windy City.
On Thursday, the league announced Chicago will host the 2026 WNBA All-Star game on July 25, following the 2025 edition in Indianapolis, which raked in an average of 2.2 million viewers. This marks the second time the WNBA All-Star Game will take place in Chicago, which previously hosted the league’s midseason event in 2022.
‘The Chicago Sky are thrilled to welcome the 2026 WNBA All-Star game back to Chicago,’ Chicago Sky chief executive officer and president Adam Fox said in a statement. ‘We can’t wait to build on the success of the previous All-Star Game and celebrate the explosive growth of the league by showcasing the WNBA’s biggest stars on a world-class stage.’
The 2026 WNBA season and subsequent All-Star Game is contingent on the league and the WNBPA finalizing a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). If both sides don’t reach a deal before the CBA expires on Oct. 31, or an extension isn’t agreed upon, the league will temporarily shut down until a new agreement is signed. That could jeopardize key league events, like the draft lottery, expansion draft and even the season, depending on how long the impasse lasts.
Many of the league’s stars, including Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier, used the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis to send a message to the league with black pregame warmup shirts that read, ‘Pay Us What You Owe Us.’
During her annual press conference ahead of the WNBA Finals earlier this month, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert said she ‘wants much of the same things that the players want’ and assured ‘we can get a deal done.’ Despite ongoing CBA negotiations, the league moved forward with announcing the next host city for the 2026 All-Star Game on Thursday.
“The WNBA is thrilled to bring AT&T WNBA All-Star back to Chicago, which will undoubtedly deliver unforgettable competition and community outreach,” Engelbert said.
The All-Star weekend festivities in Chicago includes the 3-point contest and Kia WNBA skills challenge on Friday, June 24 at Wintrust Arena, home of the Chicago Sky. The 2026 All-Star game will be held at the United Center, home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls on Saturday, June 25.
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