Key Takeaways
- The WNBA will stage several official All-Star Weekend 2026 activities at Chicago’s newly opened Obama Presidential Center.
- Media Day, team practice, Changemaker Day, and Jr. WNBA Day are scheduled for July 24 at the South Side campus.
- The All-Star Game and related competitions will still take place at United Center and Wintrust Arena as part of the broader Chicago weekend.
The WNBA is bringing part of its 2026 All-Star celebration to one of Chicago’s most meaningful new landmarks.
On Wednesday (July 8), the league announced that several marquee events tied to the AT&T-sponsored weekend will take place at the newly opened Obama Presidential Center on the city’s South Side. As explained on the WNBA's official website, this will be the first professional sports organization to host events at the historic venue.
“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,” expressed WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a statement. “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 of The Obama Foundation, also celebrated the milestone. “We are thrilled to welcome the WNBA as our first professional sports league hosted at the Obama Presidential Center,” she said, adding that sports can help “create meaningful opportunities to build the next generation of leaders.”
The schedule at the Obama Presidential Center will include All-Star Media Day and a practice run, which the league said marks the first time an All-Star practice will be held at a venue of its kind. The campus will also host the third annual WNBA Changemaker Day with additional support from Ally, CarMax, Deloitte, Google, Nike, and others, in collaboration with the Chicago Sky, Chicago Public Schools, and Girls Opportunity Alliance, an initiative of The Obama Foundation.
WNBA All-Star Weekend marks major early moment for Obama Presidential Center
The WNBA announcement comes just weeks after the Obama Presidential Center officially opened in Chicago. As REVOLT previously reported, the nearly 20-acre Jackson Park campus was celebrated during a June dedication ceremony that brought together the Obama family, former presidents, political leaders, music legends, entertainers, and athletes. The center opened to the public the following day, on Juneteenth, with a weekend of community events.
Most of the WNBA activations will take place inside Home Court, the center’s 60,000-square-foot athletic building. The space features a WNBA-regulation basketball court and multi-purpose areas designed for sports, wellness, youth engagement, leadership programming, and community connection. Jr. WNBA Day will also be part of the schedule, with AT&T and the league hosting activities for girls centered on basketball, leadership, and learning. Planned events include a fundamentals clinic, panel discussions, a vision-board workshop, and STEM activities.
The 2026 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game will take place on July 25 at United Center, while the State Farm WNBA 3-Point Contest and Kia WNBA Shooting Stars are scheduled for July 24 at Wintrust Arena, home of the Chicago Sky.