The 2026 WNBA All-Star Game is shaping up to be the league’s most successful event yet, with ticket prices surpassing $200 and a sellout expected. The game, scheduled for Saturday at Chicago’s United Center with over 20,000 seats, has a current "get-in" price of $233 on the secondary market, more than double last week's price. The Friday night 3-Point Contest and Shooting Stars event, held at the smaller Wintrust Arena, also sees ticket increases, with prices around $115, nearly four times last year’s prices.

Demand for these events has driven secondary market prices significantly higher as Saturday’s main game is already sold out through primary channels, and only limited seats remain for Friday’s contests. Ticketing platforms such as SeatGeek report order volumes triple those from 2025, averaging $431 in sales price and surpassing last year’s total sales by 15%. StubHub shows the sales volume is eight times higher than in 2022, a year when Friday’s events were invite-only due to security concerns.

Despite the soaring prices and excitement, there are notable absences, especially in the 3-Point Contest. Top players like Caitlin Clark and defending champion Sabrina Ionescu are not participating, with reports indicating some players declined invitations or faced communication issues around official invites. The contest will feature rising stars like Azzi Fudd and All-Stars Rhyne Howard and Marina Mabrey, filling the slots left by those who opted out.

The heightened interest and price inflation come despite the Chicago Sky’s struggles this season, including a poor record and trading away a key All-Star, Angel Reese. Saturday’s All-Star Game is expected to showcase league stars such as Paige Bueckers, A’ja Wilson, and Breanna Stewart, maintaining the WNBA’s growing popularity and marketability even amid team performance challenges and player availability questions.