Last year when the WNBA’s All-Star festivities returned to Las Vegas for the third time, we found out prior to the conclusion of last year’s All-Star weekend that the 2024 rendition would be on its way to Phoenix.
It was a bit of a surprise when the W decided to even stage an All-Star weekend this year given it is also an Olympic year. The 2021 version we figured was an anomaly due to the pandemic.
But we were proven wrong – and this year’s All-Star weekend (as was the case in 2021) will be, in many ways, a dress rehearsal for USA Basketball prior to the upcoming Olympics.
On the subject of All-Star weekends, it is never too early to look a year ahead. Here are three cities that we believe could potentially be where the WNBA’s midseason festivities emanate from in 2025.
Las Vegas
The WNBA had no idea what would be in store for the league when the 2019 All-Star Game was bestowed upon Sin City. Apparently, the W hit a jackpot like it was playing on one of Nevada’s many slot machines (including at Las Vegas’ airport).
It appears as of late that Las Vegas has become the WNBA’s flagship All-Star city. Not only did it host the 2019 rendition, but also the 2021 version even though that year’s was heavily affected by the pandemic. In many ways, the 2023 All-Star Game was the biggest of the three that Las Vegas has hosted.
When Vegas received the WNBA’s blessing to host the 2019 All-Star Game, it was with the goal to make All-Star more of an event as opposed to the standalone game it was prior to. Las Vegas automatically makes anything into an event because it sells itself.
Also – similar to the way the Minnesota Lynx won championships in odd-numbered years in the 2010s, it appears Las Vegas hosts All-Star Games in odd-numbered years nowadays. Could the home of the Aces be the site of yet another round of All-Star festivities. We would not be the least bit shocked…
Indiana
The Hoosier State was the site of this year’s NBA All-Star weekend back in February. Indiana went so all-out with its All-Star prep that it even utilized Lucas Oil Stadium – home venue of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts for events.
Then…there was the matter of that makeshift basketball court that Indy had at its airport.
Regardless, it is well-documented how much of a basketball hotbed Indiana is. It is also well-documented how real the Caitlin Clark effect is.
At this point, if Pacers Sports & Entertainment were to submit a bid to the WNBA for next year’s All-Star weekend, that bid could simply be photo of No. 22 on a piece of paper and that could be enough for Indianapolis to earn the W’s blessing for 2025.
The WNBA has already attempted to capitalize on the Clark effect in at least two ways – staging this year’s draft in front of fans for the first time since 2016 by having it at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. It has also done so by putting a multitude of Fever games on national television. Could it do so again by bringing All-Star to Clark’s new city?
New York
New York City is no stranger to being a host site for the WNBA’s All-Star festivities, but that was mostly the case when the Liberty were under the umbrella of James Dolan and playing at Madison Square Garden.
The All-Star Game last took place in New York in 2006 – meaning 2025 will mark a 19-year gap between then and the last time that the WNBA’s flagship city played host to the league’s All-Star festivities.
Of course, all of that took place before there was a Barclays Center and the New York Liberty of today are nothing like the New York Liberty of the MSG years.
If the Tsais are interested, the case for Brooklyn to be the site of All-Star will grow stronger with every passing year. But there may also be an argument made that 2026 (given it will be 20 years since the last All-Star weekend in New York), especially since it will mark the WNBA’s 30th anniversary, may be more suitable for the league’s midseason festivities to make their way to the intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush.
Seattle
If eventually the plan is to keep the WNBA’s All-Star festivities out west, having next year’s in Seattle could be a very great way to accomplish that objective.
With the 2023 rendition being in Las Vegas and this year’s in Phoenix, placing the 2025 All-Star weekend in the Emerald City would almost certainly ensure four consecutive seasons where the W thought west with its flagship midseason party.
Because one could only assume that Golden State should be a heavy favorite to land All-Star for 2026 – the 30th anniversary of the WNBA. It was in 2017 that Seattle served as All-Star host city when Climate Pledge Arena was still KeyArena and All-Star was nowhere near the event it is today.
