WNBA All-Star Weekend Makes History at the Obama Presidential Center
Sports columnist Charles Hallman previews WNBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago, marking the first time a U.S. pro sports league has hosted events at the Obama Presidential Center. Broadcaster Cindy Brunson breaks down a surprising first half of the season, crediting Cheryl Reeve's roster building in Minnesota, rookie standout Olivia Miles, St. Paul native Nia Coffey's breakout year, and Toronto's Marina Mabrey, while noting Phoenix's disappointing season after last year's runner-up finish.
The proverbial first half of the WNBA regular season has wrapped up as WNBA All-Star 2026, “a week of leadership, innovation and community impact,” takes place in Chicago for the second time since 2022.
This time, however, two marquee events will be held at the newly opened Obama Presidential Center: an invitation-only All-Star Media and Innovation Summit (July 23) and All-Star Media Day and Practice (July 24).
The W is the first U.S. pro sports league to host events at the Obama Center, built to permanently honor the country’s first Black president and first lady, Barack and Michelle Obama, and their family. The former president also honored league champions and other women’s team champions during his eight-year run.
The WNBA All-Star Game (WASG) on Saturday will be only the fifth time a WNBA game has been played at the United Center, home of the NBA’s Bulls. The host Chicago Sky played two home games there last season, played one this year on June 28 and are scheduled to play another on Aug. 8.
The annual All-Star event, which, in my opinion, is the best among major league all-star games for its competitiveness, will have a new initiative this year, as the two teams will compete for a $100,000 prize pool to benefit two Chicago-based organizations dedicated to girls involved in sports: $70,000 to the winners and $30,000 to the runners-up.
W legends Cynthia Cooper (Coop) and Teresa Weatherspoon (Spoon) served as special GMs and drafted the players. Team Coop, which features Lynx forward Natasha Howard, will play for Angels Athletics. Team Spoon, coached by Minnesota’s Cheryl Reeve and her staff and featuring guards Olivia Miles and Courtney Williams, will play for Girls in the Game.
To review the W’s first half, we talked to veteran broadcaster Cindy Brunson for her analysis.
“Team for team, player for player, there is talent in every corner of the league, and it is so exciting,” declared Brunson. “Every game is a battle. It doesn’t matter where you are in the standings. Anybody can get anybody else, and that also raises the excitement level as well.”
Among the surprises, Minnesota ranks right up there, says Brunson. “There were just so many question marks, and my goodness gracious, it’s just been a masterclass by Reeve on how to put the pieces together.” This includes the signings of Nia Coffey and Howard as free agents, replacing two of last year’s starters who left as free agents, and of course the drafting of Miles at No. 2.
Miles, a first-time All-Star rookie starter, is known among other nicknames as “The Spectacle.” “I love that nickname,” continued Brunson. “She’s putting up numbers that we don’t normally see from guards coming into the league,” she added of Miles, who leads all W rookies in virtually every statistical category. But more importantly, as the broadcaster pointed out, Reeve “has the trust in the rookie.”
On Coffey, a St. Paul native playing at home for the first time in her pro career: “We knew her capability. She just needed to be in the right system,” said Brunson of the veteran forward. “That confidence piece has just unlocked her.”
Brunson pointed out that second-year Golden State has picked up where it left off last season, as a playoff contender. “The biggest surprise for me, and I think for everybody, has been Golden State,” stressed Brunson. “Are they the sexiest games to watch? Not necessarily, but I love the fact that they are exactly what (Head Coach) Natalie Nakase wants them to be, and that’s defense first, and they’ve all bought in.”
Toronto’s Marina Mabrey is having such a breakout year that Brunson easily said, “Let’s just go ahead and hand Most Improved Player to her. She is literally shooting the leather off the basketball. Oh, my goodness gracious! Forty percent from three, she was just at 27% from three last year. She reminds me so much of Diana Taurasi.”
Among this season’s disappointments has to be Phoenix, last season’s runner-up, surmises Brunson. “There’s signs that they might compete, and then the Mercury just fell on their face over and over again. That’s a head scratcher for sure.”
Next week: Brunson shares her second-half prognostications along with our WASG recap from Chicago.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses at challman@spokesman-recorder.com.