The WNBA will host a weekend of All-Star events at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on July 24, marking the venue’s first use by a professional sports league since it opened.

Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and community leader Valerie Jarrett describe the event as a honor and a catalyst for leadership and civic engagement, aiming to connect basketball with meaningful community impact.

The center will host Home Court, a 60,000-square-foot athletic facility, along with activities such as Jr. WNBA Day, clinics, leadership panels, STEM activities, and vision-board workshops.

Organizers frame the weekend as a citywide celebration with broader leadership and community activations beyond a single arena, signaling an expansive All-Star experience.

The third annual WNBA Changemaker Day fixtures partnerships with the Chicago Sky, Chicago Public Schools, and the Girls Opportunity Alliance, supported by sponsors including AT&T, AWS, CarMax, Deloitte, Google, and Nike; Jr. WNBA Day will feature clinics, panels, a vision-board workshop, and STEM programming.

Sponsors collaborate with the Chicago Sky, CPS, and the Girls Opportunity Alliance to power Changemaker Day themes of leadership and community impact.

The arrangement aims to create a citywide All-Star weekend rather than a single-arena event, reflecting the league’s civic and inclusive ambitions.

The Obama Presidential Center opened about a month prior on Chicago’s South Side as part of a mission to reflect the city’s energy and the Obamas’ belief in collective action.

AT&T is among the sponsors, and center leadership emphasize using sports to promote leadership and community engagement.

The Center’s opening cost is about $850 million, on 19.3 acres in Jackson Park, with the league framing the events as part of a broader effort to use basketball to build leadership and civic engagement in communities.

The Chicago Sky is not expected to have a player in the All-Star Game barring late injury replacements, while the Sky are slated to host the game itself.

As announced, the Chicago Sky are set to host the All-Star Game, with player inclusion dependent on injuries.