Barack Obama Surprises WNBA All-Stars at Chicago Presidential Center
· Yahoo Sports
WNBA All-Star Weekend tipped off Friday as players took the court for practice at the new Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
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The WNBA will host its All-Star Weekend from July 24-25, and the All-Star Game will take place on the 25. Barack Obama, who was the 44th president of the United States of America, surprised all 22 All-Star players as he arrived to greet them.
The 2026 WNBA All-Stars became the first pros to play on the new "Home Court" inside Chicago's Obama Presidential Center, which opened this year. Obama stopped by to cheer, take selfies, and chat with players.
The 44th president also played a brief one-on-one against forward Jonquel Jones. He gave guard Caitlin Clark a special shoutout and advice on how to navigate the professional lane. He also interacted with forwards Angel Reese and A'ja Wilson ahead of the All-Star Game.
All-Star GameFollowing the All-Star practice, President Obama surprised nearly 100 high school freshmen girls for the third annual WNBA Changemaker Day, which is a program that focuses on inspiring and empowering rising 9th-grade girls, in the Center's Elie Wiesel Auditorium, according to a press release from the Obama Foundation.
The WNBA All-Star Game will take place on July 25 and will feature WNBA legends Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon as honorary general managers. A'ja Wilson, Gabby Williams, Breanna Stewart, Jessica Shepard, Kelsey Mitchell, Olivia Miles, Natasha Howard, Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Aliyah Boston are the starters for this year's All-Star Game.
The reserves for the All-Star Game feature Sonia Citron, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Marina Mabrey, Kelsey Plum, Courtney Williams, Jackie Young, Kiki Iriafen, Jonquel Jones, Dominique Malonga, Nneka Ogwumike, and Angel Reese.
Halfway PointAll-Star Weekend marks the halfway point of the WNBA season. Currently the Minnesota Lynx are in first at 22-6 and the Golden State Valkyries, who are a second year expansion team are in second place at 19-9.
The rest of the top five in the standings include the Las Vegas Aces (18-8), Dallas Wings (18-9), and Indiana Fever(17-10). Before the All-Star Break, the WNBA and WNPBA met on Tuesday, July 21, to discuss the hate occurring across the league.
On July 23, the WNBA released a joint statement regarding issues around racist, hateful, and abusive messages directed at players. During the meeting that took place on the 22., players spoke about feeling safe, communication, and the league's management protecting its players.
The joint statement addressed issues around being proactive and communicating early to handle issues instead of letting silence dominate the social media airways. WNBPA secretary Elizabeth Williams spoke to reporters and explained that there needs to be more communication from the WNBA commissioner who has been focused on expanding the league and increasing its business portfolio.
However, while players appreciate the league's growth, they emphasized the importance of being protected.