Can the WNBA make its All-Star Game vibes last? - ESPN

CHICAGO — A'ja Wilson strutted on the orange carpet wearing a black gown with a netted skirt and black opera gloves. Paige Bueckers sported a sleeveless top, baggy pants, a Louis Vuitton tie and a pair of white Air Force 1s. Rookie Olivia Miles rocked an oversized double-breasted black suit with accessories from Prada and Cartier to mark the official start of 2026 WNBA All-Star Weekend on Thursday night at McCormick Place near Chicago's renowned lakefront.

Twelve miles north, at Whiskey Girl Tavern, Jaye Williams prepared for one of the weekend's first fan parties. Dressed in jeans and a Chicago Sky jersey with a striped button-down pulled over her shoulders, the Sky season-ticket holder set out bingo sheets and raffle prizes on a folding table. An Allie Quigley Sky jersey hung behind the bar, one of the first in the country to emphasize women's sports, right next to Whiskey Girl Tavern's custom All-Star Weekend T-shirt. Vinyl All-Star Weekend stickers decorated the windows outside.

DJ Mary Mac, wearing a retro New York Liberty jersey, set up her rig on a platform at the front of the large room. Straight outta New York, she took her perch overlooking pool tables and dart boards as the Women's Baseball World Cup played on one of the TVs and patrons gossiped about WNBA couples they thought were — and were not — still together.

As the WNBA, its fans and players prepared for the biggest All-Star Weekend in league history, celebration and excitement bubbled through the city, a drastic change from the recent climate in the league.

Controversy has accompanied the WNBA's 30th season like clockwork, and most of it isn't about the actual game. Instead of debating Xs and Os, fans and media litigate the role of race in Alyssa Thomas