The city of Indianapolis has Caitlin Clark to thank as it prepares to host the 2025 WNBA All-Star game this weekend. Looking ahead to the future, which cities could be awarded the honor of hosting an All-Star game in the coming years?
This year marks the first time that Indianapolis is hosting the annual staple event, which comes on the heels of Clark's historic rookie season. In the recent past, Phoenix (2024), Las Vegas (2023, '21, '19) and Chicago (2022) have hosted All-Star games and are therefore excluded from this list.
The 2026 WNBA All-Star game location hasn't yet been announced, and as far as we know, there doesn't seem to be a clear-cut selection process as to how a city gets picked. It's likely that the WNBA considers a wide variety of factors such as a city's market size and basketball venue, with the league no doubt hoping that a large-scale operation and marquee mid-season event like the All-Star game runs smoothly for fans and players alike.
All that in mind, here are five cities that could be tapped as future locations for the WNBA All-Star game.
Dallas, American Airlines Center
If Caitlin Clark brought the All-Star game to Indy, Paige Bueckers could very well do the same for Dallas.
The 2025 No. 1 pick has gotten her WNBA career off to a strong start and appears on track to becoming a bonafide franchise star for the Wings. Despite the team's struggles this season (the Wings sit second to last in the league with a 6-16 record), Bueckers only promises to grow as a player and league-wide fan-favorite, and the Rookie of the Year favorite is arguably already enough of a draw for the W to ask Dallas to make its All-Star game debut as early as next year.
The game would presumably take place at American Airlines Center, where fellow 2025 No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks play. It's just a great time to be a sports fan in the Big D right now.
Los Angeles, Crypto.com Arena
The 2026 NBA All-Star game is scheduled to be held in Los Angeles at the Intuit Dome, the home of the Clippers. Why not have the city host the WNBA game, too?
It would mark an unbelievably cool joint venture, albeit one that would likely take place months apart. The NBA game will take place in mid-February, while the WNBA game would take place in mid-July. Still, hosting the NBA and WNBA All-Star games in the same city—one with lights as bright as L.A.—is conceptually an awesome crossover that could be a huge win for the sport of basketball.
Imagine the possibilities: in February, Sabrina Ionescu and Caitlin Clark make the trip to L.A. to compete in a NBA-WNBA three-point contest; in July, Steph Curry and Damian Lillard return the favor at Crypto.com Arena, home of the Sparks. Fans get treated to a double marquee showdown, the city of Los Angeles thrives, and the game grows on.
New York City, Madison Square Garden
We know what you're thinking. Too many big-market cities, give the little guy a chance. Don't be like Sophie Cunningham.
Hear us out: 2026 is going to be the WNBA's 30th anniversary. The very first WNBA All-Star game was at Madison Square Garden in New York in 1999, when the West beat the East 79-61. Even though New York has already hosted the game three times (1999, '03 and '06), it could be fitting to have the league's best players return to MSG for a special anniversary and an undeniably good time. No one does it quite like NYC.
Atlanta, State Farm Arena
Somewhat surprisingly, the city of Atlanta has yet to host a WNBA All-Star game. Part of that could be due to politics, and part of it could be the city just isn't considered an ideal location.
The Atlanta Dream nonetheless boast talented players including 2025 MVP contender Allisha Gray and Brittney Griner, and it would truly be a "dream" to see the city host the league's staple event. State Farm Arena was recently named one of the best venues in the country, but basketball arena aside, the city of Atlanta itself offers no shortage of diverse and fun experiences.
Maybe the league could host the All-Star game ahead of Griner's impending retirement, similar to how it hosted the 2024 game in Phoenix in what was Diana Taurasi's final WNBA season.
San Francisco, Chase Center
The Golden State Valkyries are the only expansion team whose city makes the cut, and there's a good reason why.
The Valkyries joined the WNBA this past season, making them the youngest franchise in the league at the moment. Having their city, San Francisco, host an All-Star game even in five years' time feels like it could be too soon, but the Valkyries' explosive popularity would suggest otherwise. Sportico reported last month that the Valkyries are the first women's team to be valued at $500 million in pro sports, beating out the Liberty and the Fever. The Valks also became the first in WNBA history to sell 10,000 season tickets and are consistently selling out games at Chase Center—all in their inaugural season.
Even with the Valkyries arguably lacking a marquee franchise star on the roster, it makes sense to parlay the rookie organization's historic success into a potential All-Star game bid in the near future.
More WNBA on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Five Potential Future Locations for WNBA All-Star Game.