The 2026 WNBA All-Star Game at the United Center in Chicago brought out the best in everyone involved in the WNBA.
In spite of all the the mostly-online noise that tends to surround the league and its players, nothing could damage all the genuine happiness that came to the Windy City.
It all started with practice at the Obama Presidential Center, with President Barack Obama making a surprise appearance and mingling with the likes of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, A’ja Wilson, Nneka Ogwumike, Paige Bueckers
and Jonquel Jones.
After fun All-Star Friday festivities, the culmination was the All-Star Game itself. The United Center drew a record crowd of 19,783 who celebrated the former, current and future mainstays of the WNBA.
Before the game, ESPN’s Holly Rowe introduced the fans to the first Big 3: Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes and Rebecca Lobo, who were the inaugural draft picks when the league launched in the fall of 1996. Then, other legends of the league joined them at center court to soak in the applause and appreciation.
Next, the present faces of the league took center stage.
Team Spoon, coached by the Minnesota Lynx’s Cheryl Reeve with Teresa Weatherspoon serving as the honorary general manager, defeated Team Coop, with the Las Vegas Aces’ Becky Hammon and Cynthia Cooper occupying the coach and general manager roles, 129-122.
Team Spoon featured the likes of Clark, Jones, Ogumike, Wilson, Olivia Miles, Courtney Williams and Jessica Shepherd. Meanwhile, Team Coop had Bueckers, Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Mitchell, Dominique Malonga, Angel Reese and Gabby Williams.
The game, of course, wasn’t without highlights. Clark hit five 3-pointers. Malonga got the fans rocking with a dunk.
Jones came away with the MVP with 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. In doing so, she became the first player in WNBA history to win a league MVP, Finals MVP, Commissioner’s Cup MVP and All-Star Game MVP.
All the while, Jones played with a heavy heart, having attended the memorial service of her late aunt on the same day.
Overall, the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game highlighted how and why the league has come this far.
It began as an experiment with potential that went through ebbs and flows and with much uncertainty. Today, the WNBA has achieved record ratings and attendance, money to spend, massive franchise valuations, expansion on the horizon and a landmark CBA agreement, among other markers of great growth.
In Chicago, the reciprocal appreciation between the past and present was on full display, and nothing but positivity permeated throughout the weekend.
