- Slug: Sports–WNBA All-Star Phoenix History. 765 words.
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By Mateo Arenas
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – When the WNBA All-Star Game first graced the Valley stage, the year was 2000, the band Santana had two of the biggest music hits in the nation and the WNBA’s average salary was $50,000. Fourteen years later, when Phoenix again hosted the All-Star game, Pharrell Williams’ song “Happy” graced the top of the charts, and the players’ average salary had jumped to $75,000.
The mid-summer showcase of the league’s best players returns to what is now called the Footprint Center this weekend, beginning with Friday night’s skills challenge and 3-point contest, followed by Saturday’s All-Star game. Only Uncasville, Connecticut has hosted more All-Star games (4) than the Valley, while New York and Las Vegas have also hosted the weekend three times each.
While much is different about the game from the last time Phoenix hosted – this year features a Team USA vs. Team WNBA format to prepare the national team for the impending Olympic games – two of Phoenix’s biggest stars will participate once again. The Phoenix Mercury’s Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi will represent Team USA, along with first-year teammate Kahleah Copper. Griner and Taurasi represented the Mercury as starters when the All-Star game was played in Phoenix 10 years ago.
“I can just think back when I was a little kid, which was a while now, the year was 2000, and it was the first year that All-Star was here, and I remember watching it,” Taurasi said at the press conference to announce this year’s location. “I was 18 years old, I was going to be a freshman in college, and I just thought, what an amazing place. I was always a big Suns fan growing up … and then I fell in love with the Mercury.
“I just remember the energy that was in this building. And to fast forward to 2014, and get to play an All-Star game here with (Brittney Griner) and some of my other teammates was just an amazing opportunity. And to fast forward 10 years, for this game to be back in this city, it just speaks volumes to (Mercury and Suns owner) Mat (Ishbia) and our organization that put everything forward for this city.”
The 2024 showcase will mark the first time multiple rookies will appear in the game since Chiney Ogwumike and Shoni Schimmel made history the last time it was played in Phoenix. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, who were the first and fifth-leading All-Star vote-getters, have continued to steal headlines in their first WNBA season after dueling in women’s college basketball.
And the average WNBA salary has leaped to $147,745, a reflection of the league’s surging popularity and the growth of women’s sports overall.
“I know so many fans are going to come out to watch both of us,” Reese said in an interview with NBA Today. “I know a lot of people are just going to come to Phoenix, I’m sure it’s already sold out. Being able to be in that environment, we’re going to be playing together for a while, so this is not going to be the (last) time. I know we’ll be All-Stars again, and hopefully, 2028 we’ll be Olympians together.”
Hosting the second-ever WNBA All-Star Game in 2000, the West took down the East as Tina Thompson of the now-defunct Houston Comets took home MVP honors in the Valley. The 2014 contest ended in an overtime thriller, with the East outlasting the West 125-124 and rookie Schimmel capturing MVP honors for the Atlanta Dream.
“I am so excited that Arizona will be the host of the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game,” Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said during the press conference. “Arizona is the ultimate destination for sports and entertainment, and Phoenix is quickly becoming the epicenter of basketball. The Mercury are one of the original WNBA franchises, and everyone knows we have the best fans in the WNBA.
“We can’t wait to welcome fans from all over the world to the WNBA All-Star Game, and show them everything the Valley has to offer.”
In a massive year of growth for the WNBA, all eyes will be on Phoenix Friday and Saturday. All-Star voting increased 600% from 2023 to 2024, with Clark leading all players with 700,735 votes. In 2023, no player received over 100,000 votes for the game. Phoenix is sure to embrace the showcase of the best women’s basketball players in the world once again in 2024.
“At the end of the day, it’s for this city, it’s for how much this city loves basketball,” Taurasi said. “We have everything the big cities have, but we have heart, and that’s what sets it apart.”
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