Raines: Indy looks to ‘redefine’ WNBA All-Star Weekend
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe president and CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment thinks next year’s WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis will look very different than it has in other cities.
The WNBA announced last week that the mid-season festivities will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indy, a move that was made after a last-minute conflict arose with the league’s originally planned location.
Mel Raines said when they got the call from the WNBA, they jumped at the opportunity to show what Indy could do with the event.
“Our goal is the same as it was for NBA All-Star: to help them redefine what this event is and see it in its biggest opportunity,” said Raines. “That will include legacy projects. That will include more community programs. That will be a bigger and better fan fest, and be sure that anyone who wants to be a part of this in Indiana can come downtown and feel like they were part of WNBA All-Star Weekend.”
Raines said the league was impressed with how Indianapolis handled the NBA All-Star Weekend in February.
“Cathy Engelbert, the Commissioner of the [WNBA] was here that weekend, so she saw what we’re able to do,” she said. “Obviously, Fever season has been unprecedented this year with excitement. We love basketball more than any other state. In addition to just our history of all of these events, Olympic swimming trials and Big 10 championships and all these other events…I think we were a pretty easy first call for them.”
The Fever this past weekend kicked off the second half of the WNBA season with a pair of victories, highlighted by No. 1 draft pick Caitlin Clark.
Raines said what has been happening this season for the Fever and the WNBA has a whole has been transformational.
“People are talking about a moment, but hopefully it’s more of a movement. Hopefully this is the beginning of more to come,” she said. “We have an exciting team. The fans certainly have turned out to see them. We’re on national TV, 38 out of 40 games; that certainly helps, and so we want to keep growing this game, growing this team and and getting to the playoffs this year. That’s certainly our goal.”
The 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend festivities will take place July 18-19.