The newly-opened Obama Presidential Center will host multiple marquee events during WNBA All-Star 2026.
The Obama Presidential Center will serve as the featured venue for WNBA All-Star Media Day and Practice, WNBA Changemaker Day and Jr. WNBA Day, with the overarching goal of brining players, fans and the community together for experiences that celebrate basketball, culture and connection.
The events will take place in the Center’s Home Court, a 60,000-square-foot athletic building designed as a space
for play, wellness and youth engagement.
For Changemaker Day, WNBA Changemakers—Ally, AT&T, AWS, CarMax, Deloitte, Google and Nike—will plan programming in collaboration with the Chicago Sky, Chicago Public Schools and the Girls Opportunity Alliance, which is an initiative of the The Obama Foundation. Jr. WNBA Day, sponsored by AT&T, will include activities—a basketball clinic, panel discussions, a vision-board workshop and STEM activities—intended to inspire girls thorough basketball, leadership and learning.
Here’s what WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said about the WNBA becoming the first pro sports league to host events at the Obama Presidential Center:
Hosting AT&T WNBA All-Star events at the Obama Presidential Center is a true honor and reflects our commitment to creating connection through basketball and engaging communities in meaningful ways. We’re excited to bring together the WNBA family and the greater Chicago community to create memorable experiences at this historic new venue.
Valerie Jarrett, CEO at The Obama Foundation, said this about working the WNBA:
We are thrilled to welcome the WNBA as our first professional sports league hosted at the Obama Presidential Center. At the Center, we believe sports have the power to bring people together and create meaningful opportunities to build the next generation of leaders.
