How can we restore the joy to the NBA All-Star Game? The WNBA showed the way
A league's All-Star Game is a marquee event and should be one filled with hype and excitement. But in recent years, the conversation around the NBA's All-Star festivities has been about what needs changing to make it more interesting.
The WNBA, however, is seeing record viewership and attendance. Growing enthusiasm around the W has made its All-Star events a hot topic on social media.
Advertisement
The NBA All-Star Game of today is about the three Rs: rest, recovery and ramping up for the playoffs. But NBA players could take one specific note from the W: This year's WNBA All-Star Weekend turned into a celebration of its players, fans and culture. With more people watching, WNBA players also used the opportunity to advocate for their collective bargaining discussions with T-shirts that read 'Pay us what you owe us' during pregame.
Players are currently wearing shirts that say 'PAY US WHAT YOU OWE US' ahead of this year's WNBA All-Star game.
Powerful. @TheNextHoops pic.twitter.com/6hkmH43cyZ
— Deyscha 'Sway' Smith (@deyschasmith) July 20, 2025
Sharing the joy of playing basketball should be a layup. The NBA will soon play its 80th season, and we are now experiencing a shift in the game with more international players, as well as what looks like a changing of the guard with players such as LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant being late in their careers.
Seeing the veterans and younger players tell their stories with basketball as the background would offer a nice change of pace. Learning what niche or random interest or hobby players have would help highlight who they are for casual fans unable to recite the information typically found on the back of a trading card.
This season, the WNBA added hockey-like live-ball substitutions and the 4-point line to make things more interesting. The game itself wasn't highly competitive (or featured much defense) as Team Collier blew out Team Clark 151-131. But the hype wasn't around the game or skills challenges. Fans seemed to understand it was an exhibition, and players weren't going to play super hard in a game that didn't count.
Instead, the enjoyment came from the excitement of players and the weekend itself, helped in part by the popularity of the 72-hour StudBudz livestream.
The StudBudz, run by Minnesota Lynx players and close friends Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, gave WNBA fans a rare glimpse into players' off-court lives, sharing behind-the-scenes looks at their experiences during their All-Star weekend. It was the kind of access traditional media doesn't have.
Fans on social media were sharing clips of every ounce of access they could get. With the use of livestreams, WNBA players were able to give fans at home an unprecedented peek behind the curtain.
Studbudz 72 hour stream has somehow revolutionized sports content the wnba and all star weekend and also threatened the very fabric of professional sports all at the same time lmao
Love it
— Eddie Gonzalez (@bansky) July 19, 2025
At the WNBA All-Star Game, players mingled and integrated themselves in many events like merchandise pop-ups, panels and parties with the fans. They signed everything. They showed up for their fans and, in some cases, allowed them to get close to them. Players, alumni and fans connected in a way we don't normally get to see, but it has become common for the W.
Advertisement
That's what All-Star Weekend should be about: sharing that joy and making the players accessible and relatable, allowing fans to connect beyond a player's on-court performance.
'(WNBA) players have a clear understanding that this particular weekend is about the fans,' Connecticut Sun sideline reporter Terrika Foster-Brasby said. 'You obviously want to protect your players, and you want to ensure that your players have security and that you know there aren't random people doing and saying crazy things.
'But there is a level of accessibility that you have with women in the WNBA that you don't have with men in the NBA. I think that kind of creates this vision that the NBA players are sort of untouchable, or that they are unapproachable.'
While that might not be so easy to do with NBA players, humanizing players is one of the things making the WNBA different from other leagues. Seeing players laughing, dancing and having fun with one another reminds fans these aren't just athletes who accomplish incredible things on the court, but multidimensional people — something we don't see much of at the NBA All-Star Game. Seeing coaches and even commissioner Cathy Engelbert interact with fans adds to the WNBA's charm.
At the NBA All-Star Game, players look as if it's a chore to be there. During the 2025 Skills Challenge, Team Spurs, composed of veteran Chris Paul and French basketball prodigy Victor Wembanyama, intentionally missed their shots to try to cut down on their time and move on to the next obstacle. The drill consisted of a variety of passes before the players reached a rack of balls to shoot. Paul and Wembanyama weren't even trying to connect on their shot attempts.
The crowd, aware of the gamesmanship on display, rained boos on Paul. The duo was disqualified for not taking valid shots.
Advertisement
While Paul and Wembanyama thought this strategy would benefit them, it was a joyless moment for the fans. Seeing one of the greatest point guards of all time and a 7-4 big man show the same skills would not only have had the crowd rocking and given them something to cheer for, but also have been a great example of how NBA players' skills have evolved.
This year's NBA All-Star Game included a new tournament-like format, and the reception from fans was mixed. The frequent discussion of format changes around the NBA's game has shown that ship's probably sailed in terms of legislating the fun and excitement back into the event. Changing the rules and adding gimmicks hasn't yet seemed to make the All-Star Game more interesting to fans or players. Fans know they're watching a game that doesn't count, but they still want to see their favorites putting on a show.
While there was a complete lack of defense in the women's game, they looked as if they enjoyed being there. The celebratory feel of the WNBA's All-Star Weekend shone through the players.
Even with several tweaks to the format throughout the last few years, the moments of joy have been fleeting recently at the NBA All-Star Weekend. The players selected for the All-Star Game are already the league's elite, so what incentive can motivate them to play any harder?
'I think the players want to be viewed as regular guys, as regular human beings having fun, hanging out with my friends and my guys. I don't think the league always puts them in the best position to give them that human aspect,' Foster-Brasby said. 'You can see it even at W All-Star, because a lot of times NBA players are there, and they don't necessarily have that guarded view during WNBA All-Star that they have during NBA All-Star. You can see it feels like they're a little bit more relaxed, and they feel a little bit more comfortable within that space.'
Maybe instead of new rules, the NBA needs to make the weekend more player and fan-focused. The NBA has open practices on All-Star Saturday, but there is always room for more fan engagement.
The WNBA community has its groups and cliques among the fan base, and they're close-knit. Access and connectivity to the players have organically created a growing interest in the league and the players as individuals. All-Star Weekend highlighted that in a way we'd never seen before.
Advertisement
'I think proximity and authenticity is the name of the game,' said Khristina Williams, host 'In Case You Missed It,' a women's basketball podcast. 'WNBA players are digital natives. Utilizing social media … that type of technology is always going to hit for women's sports or women's basketball, because for years and years none of their stuff was available. They've capitalized on building their brands through connecting with their fans.'
The NBA All-Star break was extended during the 2013-14 season from five days to seven to allow players more time to rest, but the break isn't the true midpoint of the season, as teams head into the break having played more than 50 games. Understandably, players don't want to risk injury in a game that doesn't count. But when players appear as if they don't care about participating in the events, it's neither fun nor entertaining.
When Major League Baseball held the first All-Star Game on July 6, 1933, at Comiskey Park in Chicago ('the Game of the Century,' according to the Chicago Tribune) to coincide with the 1933 World's Fair, the intention was a celebration of the sport and an opportunity to showcase baseball's top talent and their skills.
The NBA held its first All-Star Game at Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. A crowd of more than 10,000 packed the arena to see the league's best. Inaugural All-Star MVP 'Easy' Ed Macauley of the Boston Celtics finished with 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting as the East defeated the West 111-94. Like MLB, the game became a fan favorite.
But it's not easy for any league to host an All-Star Game. Times have changed. Before interleague play, it was rare for American League fans to see National League players and vice versa. In the NBA, it was rare for someone in Cleveland to see the Denver Nuggets or the Portland Trail Blazers. All-Star games were the places to see the best in one spot. Now, with NBA League Pass and MLB Extra Innings, we can see any player at any time. The NFL and NHL have also recently changed their formats as leagues are constantly trying things to infuse new life into their midseason break.
MLB's All-Star Game has seen its popularity diminished because superstars don't play the majority of the game and many starters leave before it ends. This year's Midsummer Classic ended in a tie after nine innings, so it led to the first All-Star swing-off. Despite the lack of starters like Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, the mini-home run derby went over well and brought some of the joy back to the event.
If the NBA wants to infuse some enthusiasm into the events, the WNBA just gave them a great playbook to follow and make their own. Players should see All-Star Weekend as an opportunity to take off their cool and let people see who they are, honor the history of the game and celebrate with the fans.
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
Play today's puzzle
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
No man of mystery, UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava dazzles at training camp
Try as one might to keep Nico Iamaleava under wraps, the media viewing sessions at UCLA's football training camp shorter than the lifespan of a soap bubble, several trends have emerged. The Tennessee transfer unquestionably has a strong arm. Every pass is thrown with purpose and usually on target. The wiry 6-foot-6, 215-pound redshirt sophomore has a quick release. When he faced heavy pressure during the only team period open to reporters Saturday afternoon, Iamaleava smartly and swiftly completed a short pass when no better options were available. The guy can improvise. Scanning the defense for a weakness, Iamaleava scurried up the middle for a touchdown, making the right decision on what appeared to be a run-pass option play. Read more: Bringing the juice, UCLA safety Key Lawrence infuses a new defense with passion All of this shows exactly why his arrival might have so drastically altered the team's trajectory. 'He keeps living up to expectations every day,' wide receiver Mikey Matthews said. 'He's a really good leader, and he just pushes us every day as an offense.' Coach DeShaun Foster said one of the things that has impressed him about his new quarterback is his determination to win, even during competitive periods involving one-on-one battles. 'You can kind of see his juice going,' Foster said, 'and, you know, jawing a little bit with some of the guys on defense that he knows.' If things had gone differently, Matthews might have teamed with Iamaleava at Tennessee. Unlike UCLA, which struggled to identify top high school talent under coach Chip Kelly, the Volunteers offered Matthews a scholarship out of Mission Viejo High. A tight connection between Iamaleava and Matthews had formed through seven-on-seven tournaments and high school games. 'We already had, like, built that connection just beforehand,' said Matthews, a transfer from California who posted career highs with 32 catches for 272 yards and one touchdown last season. 'So when I knew he was coming here, it was just like a blessing, just happy to have him here and just knowing that he's going to give me that rock whenever, and knowing that he's going to throw that ball. So it was cool just to have him here.' Football junkies Matthews has an Xbox in his hotel room and a new roommate in defensive back Brett Barry — 'That's my dawg now,' Matthews said — to learn about. There are so many possibilities to keep the wide receiver busy late into the night. His top priority is inactivity. All he wants to do when his final meeting of the day ends around 9:30 p.m. is see how quickly he can get into bed before waking up for the next meeting. 'Once I'm done with meetings,' Matthews said, 'I'm brushing my teeth and going right to sleep. I'm tired.' Read more: UCLA's Tino Sunseri vying to make child's play out of winning with new quarterback It would be easy for fatigue to set in as the Bruins approach the final week of training camp in Costa Mesa. A schedule rife with practices, meetings and recovery — not to mention bonding events such as a beach day and karaoke — has left players sinking deeply into their hotel beds. But there's an upside to so much football for players who embrace every X and O. Matthews said the wide receivers were staying after every practice to catch at least 100 passes from a ball-launching machine. 'We all love football,' Matthews said, 'so it's not like we're complaining, and while we're doing this, while we're doing that, it's everyone just locked in, heads down, and we're all just grinding.' As the Bruins approached the final week of training camp, Foster said he wanted to know who had fully grasped the nuances of the way the team wanted to run things. 'Who really knows the playbook in and out, you know?' Foster said. 'Let's get the coaches on the side and let's start getting into more scrimmaging and stuff like that.' Linebacker Jalen Woods said a Saturday afternoon practice spanning nearly 2½ hours might have been the longest of camp, just part of Foster's efforts to simulate a game-like environment with three weeks left before the season opener against Utah on Aug. 30 at the Rose Bowl. 'I feel like for us to be ready for a game,' Woods said, 'like, we need these long practices.' The bonding has also had its perks. Foster identified freshman defensive lineman Robert James III, who will be sidelined indefinitely by a lower-body injury, as the team's best singer. Players have also performed other impromptu requests in an effort to bond. 'It's beneficial that we do stuff like skits, and stuff like that, like doing funny stuff here and there to show everybody's personality on the team,' Woods said. 'Just a side that we don't see, like on the football field. So, it's basically like getting to know your teammates, and I feel like it's going to pay dividends in the long run, trying to make a push for a championship.' Etc. Safety Key Lawrence suffered an apparent right leg injury early in the practice session and had to be helped off the field and into the trainers' area. ... Foster said offensive linemen Courtland Ford and Reuben Unije, who were limited in practices earlier in the week, were managing 'a little bit of wear and tear.' Offensive lineman Yutaka Mahe, recovering from a lower-body injury, is on schedule to return soon, Foster said. ... As of Friday, UCLA's new practice fields on campus remained a big pile of dirt. Foster said the team had plenty of options, including Drake Stadium and the intramural fields, if the new practice fields were not completed by the time players returned to campus next weekend. ... Wyatt Mosier, a redshirt sophomore linebacker, has been awarded Nick Pasquale's No. 36 as a tribute to Mosier's ability to embody the spirit of the late wide receiver. Foster said he wanted 'somebody that was gonna come out here and leave everything on the field, and that's the way that Wyatt practices.' ... As a thank-you gesture from UCLA in response to recent wildfires, first responders can get $4.73 tickets for the season opener. Read more: UCLA Unlocked Sign up for UCLA sports for big game takeaways, recruiting buzz and more UCLA sports insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Not Getting Invited Sucks. But Here's How To Stop Taking It So Personally.
It stings when you discover you weren't invited to that couples dinner, industry event or weekend trip with your college pals. Your mind starts swirling, and you conclude that you are a social outcast destined for a life of loneliness. Or maybe you're convinced that the friend who planned this intentionally excluded you because they're a terrible person. Friendship expert Danielle Bayard Jackson has recently come across 'a surge of videos' on social media focusing on the latter. 'Oftentimes the tone of the video is very accusatory, and people tend to dismiss the inviters as being bad friends, fake friends, not really caring and as somehow being duplicitous and being exposed in their duplicity,' Bayard Jackson — a friendship coach and host of the 'Friend Forward' podcast —told HuffPost. 'And I saw less dialogue around other reasons why you may not be invited.' So she posted her own TikTok in response, listing a dozen other possible reasons for people to consider when they aren't invited to something. She created the video, she said, to open people's eyes to different perspectives and 'depersonalize' the experience. It has racked up more than 1.5 million views since she uploaded it in March. 'It was something that people needed to hear, but a lot of people don't want to say,' Bayard Jackson said. 'But my job as a coach is to offer you various perspectives to inform the choices you make about your friendships.' Some of the potential explanations Bayard Jackson offers in the video include: 'You never go to other things they invite you to, so they stopped trying.' 'They've made assumptions on your behalf about your financial abilities, your interest or your availability. And they think they're doing you a favor by not inviting you because of those things.' 'They got together out of convenience, meaning the two of them were together, they saw the coffee shop down the street, and they decided to go to the coffee shop. The decision was less about you and more about proximity.' 'They prefer to keep their circles separate. So they're going together with church friends, maybe they don't invite you. If they're going with mom friends, maybe they don't invite you. Because they want to maintain a certain sameness or rhythm in a particular group.' Her hope was for people to see that 'sometimes it's logistical, sometimes it's an oversight, sometimes they're doing it for what they believe to be noble reasons,' she said. Adopting this perspective won't get rid of the pain of rejection — but it might help soften it. Anna Goldfarb is a journalist who covers friendship and the author of the forthcoming book 'Modern Friendship.' She's also noticed that people tend to take not getting invited 'very personally' while acknowledging how hurtful the experience can be. 'Studies show that rejection triggers the same pathways as physical pain, so it does hurt to be excluded,' she told HuffPost. Goldfarb said even she struggles with this from time to time. For example, when she finds out a friend went to dinner in her neighborhood but didn't call her, she sometimes gets a 'ping of hurt.' 'Then I'll think, 'Well, she was going out for dinner with her husband. Why would she invite me?'' she said. 'Then I remind myself I've had dinner in her neighborhood and haven't called her, and it wasn't that I don't love her. I still love her. So that helps, just to put yourself in the other person's shoes.' But sometimes, the reasons for not being included do feel a bit more personal. Pulling from Bayard Jackson's list, things like: 'Whenever you're there, you dominate the conversation, so it's not a good time.' 'You make them feel judged or criticized when you're around, which makes people measure their words. And if they don't want to do that, they just don't invite you.' 'You have some kind of conversational tendency that makes the experience unpleasurable for other people. So if you tend to be a one-upper or a negative Nancy, then people probably won't elect to have you in the room.' These reasons require you to look inward: Is there, perhaps, something you're doing that's putting people off? And though these might be hard to consider, doing some introspection is a good thing. In fact, having self-awareness is an important first step toward having better friendships, said Bayard Jackson. 'A lot of times on social media, I see people conflating feedback with attacking you or criticism,' she said. 'But that's how we get better. That's how we're made aware of how our friends experience us. I should want to know how my efforts and intentions are being received by others, by the people that I love. I want to know that.' Consider these possible reasons and if they might apply to you. If they're not relevant, let them go. But if they might be, then explore them further. 'Reflect on the past couple experiences you had in a social gathering. If you looked at a pie chart, how much of the talking was you? How much was them? And how frequently does that happen?' Bayard Jackson said. 'Sure, there might be times where maybe the spotlight's on you tonight because you kind of need more of the attention. But how often are you speaking most of the time? Do you tend to notice the same reaction from people? Do they tend to pull away or switch subjects when you bring up certain subjects? Does the energy in the room shift after you say certain things?' And take note if you're hearing the same comments about your attitude or conversational habits from different people in your life. 'If your mother and your boyfriend and your friend and your coworkers are giving you the same feedback, it might be worth looking at,' Bayard Jackson said. 'We can't be so sensitive to feedback that we don't get any. Because if we do, what continues to happen is we're going around life not realizing that we're turning people off, offending people, and just simply not engaging them well.' How To Deal With Not Being Invited Again, it's totally normal and OK to feel hurt, disappointed or even embarrassed by not being included in someone's plans. But resist the urge to dwell on those feelings, Goldfarb said. 'If there's a long history of closeness, if you're in a good place with your friend, give your friend the benefit of the doubt,' she said. 'Assume they have good intentions.' Think back to when you've planned something and haven't invited certain people for practical or arbitrary reasons. Then keep that in mind the next time you feel left out. 'I don't invite my best friends to some things I do, not because I don't want to connect with my friend, but because I have another friend going through a sensitive time, and I want to carve out time to focus on that other person,' Goldfarb said. 'That's OK. It's OK to not include everyone in everything.' You can also communicate your desire to be included in future social get-togethers or events. Just approach the conversation in a casual, tactful way. 'You don't have to accuse anyone of leaving you out,' Goldfarb said. 'Maybe they didn't realize you'd be interested, just like Danielle said. Just throw it out there. Be like, 'Oh, I'd love to come. If anyone can't make it, let me know, or next time you throw an event, keep me in mind because that sounds really fun.'' Taking some positive action can also help you feel better. For instance, you could use this as an opportunity to reach out to friends you've 'let float into the outer orbits,' said Goldfarb. 'Anytime you feel rejected, it can feel empowering to use that sadness, use that energy, to connect with someone else,' she said. 'You feel a little hurt, go connect with someone else. Because I'm sure, there's a friend out there who would love to hear from you.' Related... Freudenfreude Might Be Just What Your Friendships Are Missing This Is One Of The Most Damaging Phrases In A Friendship It's Not Just You: Making Friends After 60 Is Really Hard Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Washington Commanders: Grading every rookie's preseason Week 1 performance
The Washington Commanders lost their preseason opener against the New England Patriots in ugly fashion. New England defeated Washington 48-18 in a game that was never close. What do we make of this? Head coach Dan Quinn was upset afterward, saying his team didn't live up to the standard set. He wasn't about to make the excuse that Washington was without 30 players. The Commanders chose to sit their starters after they received plenty of work in Wednesday's joint practice with the Patriots. What upset Quinn the most was the penalties. The Commanders were penalized 13 times for 98 yards. You're going to lose almost every time, preseason or regular season, when you are penalized that frequently. Ultimately, the most critical part of the preseason is development. How did the younger players perform? Are they improving? The Commanders have five rookie draft picks from the 2025 class. Let's look at how each of Washington's rookies performed in Friday's loss. The first-round pick played 21 offensive snaps. He looked good. Conerly is still adjusting after moving over from left tackle to the right side. The biggest knock on Conerly is play strength. Remember, he's only 21. That will improve as his body continues to change and adapt to the NFL. Conerly looked excellent blocking in space—a very encouraging debut. Trey Amos played 13 snaps. It was an almost perfect debut. Amos had coverage on one deep throw and was stride for stride with the receiver, forcing Drake Maye to throw it out of bounds. It was perfect coverage. Down near the goal line, Amos also made an excellent run stop. Two different plays show why this coaching staff is high on Amos. Lane played 18 offensive snaps and four on special teams. He did not catch a pass, but was targeted once and the throw was errant. He returned two punts for five yards. It's tough to judge Lane in this game. It was almost like the Commanders were intentionally hiding Lane on offense. Remember how the team used — or didn't use — Terry McLaurin in 2019? It was a busy night for the athletic sixth-round linebacker. Medrano participated in 89% of Washington's defensive snaps and also 16 snaps on special teams. Medrano finished with three tackles, all solo. He is an aggressive player, which you love. Sometimes, that aggression gets him in trouble, but it's a trait you can't teach. Any coach would prefer an aggressive player over one who is labeled as soft. There's a lot to work with here. Medrano's progress will be fun to watch. A solid debut for Medrano. There aren't many seventh-round rookies getting as much attention as Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The most intriguing player in training camp, Bill, showed off some of those violent cuts against the Patriots. He played 17 offensive snaps, carried the ball seven times for 24 yards, and caught one pass for eight yards. Watch this run to see why Washington is so excited about JCM. There wasn't a lot there, and Bill still managed to make something happen. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Grading every rookie's preseason debut
