The Windy City is set to become the center of the WNBA universe once again. When the WNBA confirmed Chicago as the host city for the 2026 All-Star Weekend, the announcement raised many eyebrows, as Angel Reese’s Chicago had previously hosted the All-Star game in 2022 as well. However, the behind-the-scenes that led to this decision have finally come to light.

As per Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports, the Chicago Sky were the only team to submit a bid to host the 2026 WNBA All-Star Weekend, putting the franchise in a prime position and earning them the nod from the league to bring the event back to the Windy City.

In recent years, the WNBA has often had to encourage teams to host the midseason event rather than having multiple franchises competing for the opportunity, like the NBA. For the 2026 edition, the league opened a formal bidding process to all 12 teams, but Chicago was the only franchise to submit a proposal.

However, it’s not the first time that interest has been limited. The league reportedly had to step in to secure Indianapolis as the 2025 host, while Las Vegas carried much of the load in earlier years before 2024, as franchises are not eager to take on the financial and logistical demands of hosting the event.

“We’re excited to do it,” Sky CEO Adam Fox said in an interview. “It’s the goal to make Chicago the best place we’ve ever had a WNBA All-Star game. That’s the kind of healthy competition in this game that everyone is interested in.”

The 2026 All-Star Weekend will tip off at Chicago’s United Center on July 25, offering the WNBA a chance to set a new attendance benchmark given the arena’s capacity of nearly 21,000. The 2026 game will also mark Angel Reese’s third consecutive All-Star game.

How did Angel Reese fare in the 2025 All-Star Game?

This year’s NBA All-Star Game featured teams captained by the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark and the Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier. Reese was one of the reserves for Team Collier. Her team managed to pick up the victory with the final score at 151 – 131.

Angel Reese played a key role in Team Collier’s victory. She got about 17 minutes of play time and ended up scoring six points and also had two assists. Adding to this, she had a steal and also topped the rankings in total rebounds per game, with nine.

After her win, Reese told the media that she is happy with her performance and is looking forward to playing with the same team next year.

“Mebounds, she-bounds, two-time All-Star-bound, two wins, two dubs, back-to-back — and we out,” Reese said, via the Sky’s website. “[It was] so much fun. I want to do it again — same team, same girls, again next year.”

With the win, Reese remains undefeated in All-Star Games, as she played a key role in the 2024 All-Star Game as well. In the 18 minutes she got to play in the 2024 game, Reese scored 12 points, with 11 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal. Do you think the Chicago Sky star could make it a three-peat next year?