CHICAGO — The hours leading up to the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game were quiet. While there were plenty of fan-driven brand activations throughout the city, the players didn’t hold shootaround ahead of time, and there were no media availabilities.
But once things got going, the floodgates opened, and a record 19,763 fans began to fill the stands. Players and coaches arrived at Chicago’s United Center. Teresa Weatherspoon and Cynthia Cooper asked for “nice and light” questions ahead of the game (and mostly got them); Kelsey Mitchell, Breanna Stewart and Gabby Williams each offered touching answers about the All-Stars in their lives.
The United Center was packed with fans who made their enthusiasm for each player increasingly known, and as the seconds crept toward the game’s beginning, a palpable energy ripped through the stands: it was time to begin.
Weatherspoon on her future in the W: ‘It doesn’t hold me down’
Despite her request for “light” questioning, Weatherspoon was asked about her short-lived tenure as head coach of the Chicago Sky, and her future in the WNBA.
After admitting she’d “absolutely” love another opportunity at leading a team, Weatherspoon offered a characteristically pointed — and honest — answer.
“Nothing stops the show. You know nothing stops the show. I’m not the only person in the world that this has happened to,” she said. “You know, I’m not. But one thing about me, it doesn’t hold me down. Nothing holds me down, and I move forward.
“And that’s the most important thing: is moving forward and knowing who you are and what you bring, and knowing that the opportunity is for you. No one can stop that.”
Life off the court matters, too
Mitchell, Stewart and Gabby Williams were each asked who their personal all-stars are. The moment offered a crucial reminder: they’re humans away from the 94×50 piece of hardwood they call home so much of the year.
Mitchell cited her mother. “I lost my dad in 2024. My family went through a different dynamic, and she’s been really great at adjusting, losing a husband, and so just to see her kind of just still like keep moving, keep grinding, keep doing her thing as a mom, as a woman… She’ll always be my all-star,” she said.
Stewart’s wife Marta Xargay is who matters most in her life. “I think that you guys know, hopefully, she’s my back home,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to do all of the things that I’m doing without her. And the way that she supports our family is just something that you can’t recreate.”
Williams similarly cited her partner, Liberty guard Marine Johanes. “There’s a lot of things that kind of go on behind the scenes, and just knowing that you have someone who’s there through it that doesn’t care what happens on the court, but is there for you when it goes bad or when it goes well,” she said. “It’s just like you can just go home and breathe, and then it makes my life and my job much easier just having someone by my side all the time.”
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The All-Star Game should be competitive, but fun
The All-Star Game tends to stir up the same debate each year: should players go hard, or should they just have fun? For A’ja Wilson, the answer is both.
“Obviously, we want this game to be something for fans to get to experience, to see us. I mean, you see some of your favorite players playing on the same teams as your other favorite players, and that’s very rare,” she acknowledged. “When it comes to these type[s] of games where it’s not USAB (USA Basketball), I think we’re just looking to have a good time. Obviously, we don’t want to be sloppy.
“We want it to look good, and obviously we’re going to be competitive. But I hope that we don’t lose the fun in that in the All-Star Games.”
Marina Mabrey scored big, and Dominique Malonga dunked
The game itself was a smorgasbord of happenings: Marina Mabrey came out of the gate hitting shots, ending the night with 23. Caitlin Clark, who is known for her 3-point work, hit several shots from the beginning of the match (much to the delight of fans). Wilson, who can also be counted upon to deliver, ended the night with 12 points. Allisha Gray racked up 19 points, and Mitchell had 28. Olivia Miles had an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double, and Jonquel Jones had a 22-point, 13-rebound double-double of her own.
One of the more exciting parts of the game transpired in the second quarter, when Dominique Malonga became the youngest player to dunk in a WNBA game — ever. Malonga was also the first player to dunk in a WNBA game since Brittney Griner dunked not once, but twice at the 2023 game.
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Plenty of entertainment was offered
All-Star wouldn’t be All-Star if entertainment wasn’t top of mind. Mitchell, who stands at 5’8″, made a show of aggressively (and quite illegally) guarding Jonquel Jones, who clocks in at 6’6″.
Cheryl Reeve won the third quarter when she launched a foul challenge in defense of Wilson. Though it was ruled unsuccessful, Reeve had the support of much of the arena.
Other moments of note: rookie Olivia Miles called a travel violation on herself in the third (that went unchecked), and plenty of mascots (most notably the Liberty’s Ellie and Chicago’s Skye) kept the crowd locked in.
Courtney Williams offered up her own entertainment ahead of the fourth quarter, when she took several seconds and danced alone in the middle of the court. Jessica Shepherd followed that up by hitting her first three since 2022.
Jones was named MVP at the end of the night, a fitting award for her effort.
By nearly every metric, the night was a success — and now it’s time to begin looking ahead to the season’s end, playoffs, the championship and maybe even what might happen next year.
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