WNBA All-Star Weekend 2023: How Legends and Rising Stars Celebrated On and Off the Court

American Express, AT&T, and WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes played host to standout activations and events.

July 26, 2023

During halftime, Las Vegas Aces player A'ja Wilson passed the WNBA All-Star torch to Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury, who will host next year's game.Photo: Brian Babineau/NBA PhotosLAS VEGAS—The 2023 WNBA All-Star Game set multiple records when it took place July 15 at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. For starters, it set the record for most points in a WNBA game, with a total of 270. Team Stewart, led by New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart, prevailed over Team Wilson, led by Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson, with a score of 143-127. Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd also set a WNBA All-Star record by scoring 31 points (the previous record was 30, set by Maya Moore in 2015).

Also notable: The WNBA All-Star Game return of Brittney Griner, who was wrongfully detained for nearly 10 months in a Russian prison and missed last year's game. Griner, a player for the Phoenix Mercury, ended the game with 18 points, including two dunks. She received an emotional standing ovation when she was introduced.

“To have that ovation and all those little memories that I can cherish now, it means the world,” Griner told the Associated Press. “So it was no question I was going to come and play. They have never wavered in their support.”

The players, current and past, were also active off the court during the star-studded weekend. Brands like AT&T activated at WNBA Live, while American Express hosted The American Express WNBA All-Star Experience with player appearances, including New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu and Las Vegas Aces’ Jackie Young.

WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes also hosted a curated brunch with fellow seasoned WNBA stars and current rising stars to create a sense of community and sisterhood. The guest list included Sue Bird, Ticha Penicheiro, and Mistie Boyd.

Keep scrolling to see more from inside these activations and the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game...

2023 WNBA All-Star Game

Team Wilson captain A'ja Wilson was introduced ahead of the big game.

Photo: Brian Babineau/NBA Photos

Kehlani performed at the game's halftime.

Photo: Courtesy of AT&T

During halftime, Las Vegas Aces player A'ja Wilson passed the WNBA All-Star torch to Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury, who will host next year's game.

Photo: Brian Babineau/NBA Photos

The American Express WNBA All-Star Experience

Fans who stopped by American Express’ experience during WNBA Live were treated to an interactive half-court challenge with prizes and a locker room-themed lounge space with All-Star player jerseys. Experiential agency Momentum Worldwide helped produce the experience.

Photo: Mike Geurrero for Getty Images, courtesy of American Express

New York Liberty player Sabrina Ionescu met card members and fans at the experience.

Photo: Mike Geurrero for Getty Images, courtesy of American Express

AT&T Experience at WNBA Live

Title sponsor of the game AT&T hosted its own experience at WNBA Live. Here, A’ja Wilson stops by a robot nail station for customized, basketball-inspired nail art.

Photo: Courtesy of AT&T

Other experiences included this AR apparel station where fans got a chance to dress like Wilson (pictured) and Dallas Wings player Arike Ogunbowale. They could view their images at one of the AR mirrors on site or on their phone through a filter.

Photo: Courtesy of AT&T

Ogunbowale tried out the AR apparel station for herself.

Photo: Courtesy of AT&T

WNBA legend Sue Bird was also on hand at the AT&T experience to meet fans and sign basketballs.

Photo: Courtesy of AT&T

AT&T Innovation Exchange

AT&T also hosted its Innovation Exchange, where WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (left) was in conversation with Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall (right).

Photo: Courtesy of AT&T

One of the panels also included former NBA player Joakim Noah, Sue Bird, and ESPN reporter Kendra Andrews.

Photo: Courtesy of AT&T

Swoopes Soiree

In partnership with The Factor Studio and Crispin Porter Bogusky, with sponsor support from MilkPEP, Tinsel Experiential Design worked with WNBA Hall of Famer Sheryl Swoopes to host a curated brunch at La Cave at Wynn Las Vegas. Lead planner Tiffany Boyer said Swoopes "has dreamt of hosting this type of gathering during the WNBA All-Star Weekend for a long time." She added, "The men's league has historically had a full calendar of headline events. The inaugural Swoopes Soiree was an intentional stake in the ground to celebrate the league's legends and current stars, ultimately establishing a sense of solidarity and elite sisterhood among these powerful, badass women."

Photo: BFA

Lead designer Evan Petragnani worked closely with Swoopes to establish the look and feel of the event. "We wanted our decor to give a slight nod to the sport, but our goal was for the gathering to feel like an elevated brunch in Ms. Swoopes' home, rather than a brand-centric activation," he said. This custom-bejeweled basketball, "fit for the league's royalty," was one of Petragnani's favorite touchpoints. The event also paid homage to the late Nikki McCray-Penson, a dear friend of Swoopes' and fellow Got Milk? campaign star. "It felt especially poignant to include messaging to honor the passing of coach Nikki McCray-Penson," Petragnani said.

Photo: BFA

Boyer said the biggest challenge in producing this event was time. "To use a sports metaphor, we had seconds on the clock for this project timeline," she said. "We had about three weeks to build this event from the ground up, including securing the right venue in Las Vegas during All-Star Weekend and finalizing the menu in partnership with our primary sponsor, MilkPEP. This took a lot of agility across our full team, but we are so honored to have been trusted to pull this off."

Photo: BFA