WNBA All-Star Game 2021: The Ultimate Guide

The Women’s National Basketball Association All-Star Game is an annual hoops exhibition game played in the United States between the best players of the Western and Eastern Conference. Book your tickets now folks! The AT&T WNBA All-Star 2023 – the 19^th All-Star Game in league history – will be played on Saturday, July 15, with other pre-All-Star activities on Friday, July 14 in Las Vegas.

In addition to the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game, the WNBA will look to host its “WNBA Live” fan festival, now in its second year. An exciting, interactive event open to the public, “WNBA Live” will provide fans an opportunity to experience the intersection of the WNBA, entertainment and culture leading up to the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game. So stay tuned because details for “WNBA Live” will be announced in the future.

Today we’ll share everything you need to know about this year’s unique All-Star format. Plus, answer all your questions and take a walk through All-Star highlights and history with some fun facts.

Does the WNBA Have All-Star Games?

Yes the WNBA has All-Star games. This year’s (2023) is the league’s 19^th WNBA All-Star Game.

WNBA All-Star Game 2023 Date

AT&T WNBA All-Star 2023, the 19^th All-Star Game in league history, will be played on Saturday, July 15, with other pre-All-Star activities on Friday, July 14. It will be broadcast on ESPN.

WNBA All-Star Game 2023 Location

AT&T WNBA All-Star 2023 will be played in Las Vegas at the Michelob Ultra Arena, home of the defending WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces, on Saturday, July 15 – and will be the centerpiece of two full days packed with WNBA activities, the league announced. This marks the third time Las Vegas will host the WNBA’s midseason showcase, most recently in 2021.

“The WNBA is thrilled to bring AT&T WNBA All-Star 2023, to Las Vegas, a city that showed such incredible support for the Aces and the WNBA throughout last season, especially during the WNBA Finals presented by YouTube TV when the Aces brought the city its first professional sports championship,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

“This will be the third AT&T WNBA All-Star Game to take place in Las Vegas, where we had memorable experiences in 2019 and 2021. And I can’t think of a better location for us to host our second annual “WNBA Live” interactive fan event that will give WNBA fans two days of incredible opportunities to engage with our brand and partners who have stepped up to support the WNBA.”

Get Tickets for the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game

Tickets for the 2023 AT&T All-Star Game on July 15 as well as tickets for the WNBA 3-Point Contest in partnership with PepsiCo and WNBA Skills Challenge on July 14, will go on sale to the public on Thursday, January 19 at 10 am PT. Tickets may be purchased by visiting the AXS website.

Explore WNBA All-Star Game Highlights

Watch the 2022 WNBA All-Star highlights here:

Watch the full game highlights from 2021 here:

And check out the best mic-ed up moments too.

MTN DEW 3-Point Contest Highlights:

Allie Quigley‘s 30 points were a record for the contest, and she is now the only player in WNBA or NBA history to win the 3-Point Contest four times. 

“It’s definitely not easy. It’s stressful, really.” Allie said of the contest. The first round was quite competitive, as Washington Mystics guard Ariel Atkins went first and set the tone with 24 points. No. 1 overall pick Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream matched that with 24 of her own. So each of them secured a ticket to the final round, along with the reigning champion who made every shot on her money ball rack to put up 26 points. 

Her wife Courtney Vandersloot added, “When she’s out there, she makes it look so calm, and so easy… when she made all her money rack shots, I knew there was a good chance, because she only needed six more points or something.”

WNBA All-Star Game History & Fun Facts

1. Did you know that Team USA took on a group of WNBA All-Stars in an exhibition during the 2004 Olympic year previously? And that the “Stars at the Sun” showcase in 2010 featured the same matchup of All-Stars versus Olympians? However neither was considered a WNBA All-Star Game.
2. Who was the very first WNBA All-Star MVP? None other than Lisa Leslie in 1999, who won the honor three times (as she won again in 2001 and 2002)!
3. Four WNBA cities have never been selected to host the All-Star game: Atlanta, Dallas, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles.
4. In 2021, the game format changed, using the Elam Ending in the fourth period.
5. The first WNBA All-Star Game was held in 1999 at New York’s Madison Square Garden, where All-Star MVP Lisa Leslie led the West past the East 79-61. Check out the box scores from the 99 All-Star game.
6. Who’s had the most appearances in WNBA All-Star games? Sue Bird has the most appearances in the WNBA All-Star game, with 12 showings. She’s followed closely by Tamika Catchings and Diana Taurasi, both with 10 selections.