Traffic updates, text alerts, public safety: What you should know ahead of WNBA All-Star 2025
"This is a very important weekend because we have both Indiana Black Expo and the WNBA All-Star Game," Mayor Joe Hogsett said. "The chief and public safety officials in Indianapolis are pretty veteran at holding the largest single-day sporting events in all the world."
Different law enforcement agencies from central Indiana and the Indiana State Police will be out throughout downtown, and IMPD has shifted staffing to make sure neighborhoods throughout the city are still being patrolled adequately.
Public safety officials want attendees to be reassured that their safety at the WNBA All-Star Game and its associated events is a top priority despite public concerns after a spate of shootings and homicides in recent weeks.
People can TEXT ALLSTAR25 to 67283 to opt into public safety notifications.
Since summer started on June 20, there have been 22 homicides and 70 non-fatal shootings across Indianapolis.
Thirty people were shot from July 4 to 6, 2025. Five people died, two of whom were teens hit during a mass shooting downtown.
IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said he saw fewer kids downtown past curfew this past weekend as he worked the area himself on Friday and Saturday nights. He said he also saw fewer juveniles with firearms, a trend that he said he hopes continues.
"They want what we all want to do, and they should be able to come down here and enjoy themselves, but we want them to do so in the right ways," Bailey said.
"We can't control your behavior," Bailey said. "I'm asking people to come downtown and have a peaceful heart. You don't have to solve your issues with weapons, whether it's a gun or otherwise. We will enforce the law."
Monument Circle: Wednesday, July 16, to Sunday, July 20
Delaware Street: Friday, July 18
For the WNBA STARRY 3-Point Contest and Kia WNBA Skills Challenge event, doors at Gainbridge Fieldhouse will open at 6:30 p.m. The event starts at 8 p.m. Delaware Street will be closed between South Street and Maryland Street from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Delaware Street: Saturday, July 19
For the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game, Gainbridge Fieldhouse doors will open at 7 p.m. with the event starting at 8:30 p.m. Delaware Street will be closed between South Street and Maryland Street from 4-11 p.m.
Closed due to construction
All Star Bounce: Saturday, July 19
Registration starts at 7 a.m., with the event starting at 9 a.m. at the American Legion Mall. Meridian south from the American Legion Mall to Monument Circle will be closed between 7 a.m. and noon.
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Indianapolis Star
26 minutes ago
- Indianapolis Star
'It's been organic': Indy shoots for summer economy bump with WNBA All-Star Game
Streets downtown have been ceremoniously renamed after WNBA teams. Hotels are nearly sold out. Caitlin Clark's shooting form adorns the sky-blue JW Marriott hotel. It's a sign: The WNBA All-Star Game is coming to town — for the first time ever — and Indianapolis leaders, restaurant owners and residents are prepping for what they hope will be a healthy infusion to the local summer economy. On July 18 and 19, all eyes in the sports world will focus on Indianapolis, the city that has arguably catapulted professional women's basketball into the national spotlight and brought a fervor to the sport not seen before in the league's nearly 30-year history. Though the city predicts 70,000 visitors next weekend, the possible economic impact remains a mystery, as no known formal academic studies have analyzed the economic impact of the annual women's All-Star Game, Pacers Sports and Entertainment CEO Mel Raines said. Economic impact, a somewhat vague term used to discuss how certain events drive the economy, looks at direct spending from visiting fans and businesses; indirect revenue, or additional spending in Indianapolis; and the value of viewership, earned media and social media traffic. With such marquee sports events, the host committee typically also sets aside money to invest in local neighborhoods, which can boost the quality of life in Indianapolis. Studies say the NBA All-Star Game brings in hundreds of millions of dollars to host cities. In 2024, Indianapolis saw a $400 million boost to the economy while hosting the festivities, according to experts at Temple University's Sports Industry Research Center. That was the largest economic impact of an NBA All-Star Game recorded to date, even though a winter snowstorm hit the Circle City for most of the weekend. Pacers Sports and Entertainment contracted the same researchers behind the 2024 study to assess how the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game will impact Indianapolis, Raines said. Raines predicts the upcoming All-Star weekend will be bigger than ever before, as Indianapolis flexes its well-oiled tourism muscles and fans rally around women's basketball players like the Fever's Caitlin Clark, captain of one of the All-Star teams, and Aliyah Boston, both of whom have become household names. A 2024 analysis placed Clark's economic value at more than $36 million less than a year after the Fever drafted her. "We often help the host realize how big the event is when Indianapolis hosts events," said Raines, who also leads the weekend's host committee. "It's been organic to get the fans to lean in, and we know there will be some fans coming downtown rooting for Team Clark." Indianapolis landed the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game less than a year ago after scheduling issues with other franchise cities. Indy, just off a successful stint hosting the NBA All-Star Game, seemed like a natural fit. "If we hadn't just hosted the NBA All-Star Game, I might have been a little skeptical," Raines said of the last-minute call-up. At the time, the Fever were regularly selling out home games, with Indianapolis still reaping the rewards of Clark's rise to stardom. Just last week, fans lined the blocks outside Gainbridge Fieldhouse for a Wednesday noon game, an unseen sight until last year. The WNBA All-Star Weekend will have fewer ticketed attractions and a shorter event window than its NBA counterpart, meaning more people will be roaming the city in the span of two days. Downtown bars and restaurants are especially happy about the bump in attendance and foot traffic. The WNBA attracts a high number of families attending games with young daughters. Bryan Hillard, operations manager at The District Tap, said the bar sees women's basketball fans come in a few hours before tip-off for a whole meal compared to NBA fans who stop in for a quick beer right before games. WNBA fans often come in Iowa gear, a tribute to Clark's college days. This week, the bar is offering themed cocktails with nods to Indiana, the Fever and Clark. July is normally a slow month for District Tap, and Hillard predicts the All-Star Game could double the restaurant's sales this Saturday. "We are incredibly excited. I feel like the city in some ways has gotten lucky, but a lot of it has been a great job by the city to get a lot of great attractions," Hillard said. "As a whole with inflation and with a fear of tariffs and other things in the economy, I hear that industry sales are down all over the place, but I feel like we are not seeing that here," he added. On July 10, the 90-degree weather did not stop dozens of kids from playing basketball on a new court unveiled at Al Polin Park at the corner of 29th and Pennsylvania Streets. The court was part of a $1 million investment from the WNBA host committee to uplift communities in the lead up to the 2025 All-Star Game. The Legacy Court initiative included money for new asphalt, custom art, goals, hoops and backboards. With its bright blue color and signature WNBA branding, the court is hard to miss. Indianapolis artist Kierra Ready said she designed the court with fun and girly designs in mind to encourage young girls in the neighborhood to play the sport. "My style is very feminine, and it definitely connects and speaks to girls," Ready said. "I wanted girls to see the court and say 'Hey, I can play, too.'"
Indianapolis Star
an hour ago
- Indianapolis Star
What to know about WNBA All-Star Game's Indianapolis events, tickets and TV schedule
WNBA's 2025 All-Star Weekend will put women's basketball front and center in downtown Indianapolis with a variety of events. While other events will run alongside the league's planned festivities, here's what to know about the main basketball and entertainment events planned July 18-19. This two-day interactive fan experience will include appearances by current and former WNBA players, exclusive merchandise, basketball clinics and games, and league and sponsor experiences for fans gathered in downtown Indianapolis. The ticketed event will precede each night's activities at nearby Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Where: Indiana Convention Center, 100 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis When: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET Friday, July 18 and Saturday, July 19 Tickets: Daily adult admission is $28.40 plus applicable taxes at Tickets for children age 12 and younger are free and must be reserved while purchasing adult tickets. Friday's main event includes the league's annual 3-point contest and skills challenge that pits top players against each other in a variety of basketball skills-based competitions. Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Indianapolis When: 8 p.m. ET Friday, July 18 (broadcast on ESPN) Tickets: Verified resale tickets are listed for a wide range of prices at This outdoor music and comedy event in downtown Indianapolis is headlined by musician The Kid LAROI, with featured performances by Cedric the Entertainer, Leslie Jones, Aida Rodriguez, G-Eazy, BIA and more. Where: Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park, 801 W. Washington St., Indianapolis When: 6 p.m. Saturday, July 19 Tickets: Tickets are available at a wide range of prices at Re-live Caitlin Clark's rookie season with our commemorative book The WNBA's annual showcase game pits teams captained by Indiana Fever phenom Caitlin Clark and Minnesota Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier. Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Indianapolis When: 8:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, July 19 (broadcast on ABC) Tickets: Verified resale tickets are listed for a wide range of prices, starting at about $140 plus taxes, at Stream the WNBA All-Star Game on ESPN+
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
WNBA's growth has schedules getting overstuffed, and not everyone's OK with the tradeoff
They hopped a flight to Los Angeles to face the Sparks on Sunday, 'That's the WNBA for you,' said Sun rookie Saniya Rivers . 'That's the job. Obviously as a rookie, it's a lot. You travel in college, but not this much. So I think just adjusting and doing the little things as far as recovery and doing things just to stay healthy, feeling good, feeling refreshed. But again, that's the job and we're here for it. Can't complain too much.' Advertisement The schedule wasn't much kinder to the Fever, either. The Garden game is the front end of a back-to-back. They hop down to Brooklyn on Wednesday to face the Liberty in the last game of a run of five in eight days. Advertisement Time is especially precious for Indiana, as they 'We've had two games where we've had our whole roster and most of our rotation players — and still zero practices to be able to get in there,' Fever coach Stephanie White told reporters last week. Indiana had just finished a stretch of eight games in 18 days. 'It's just the nature of the beast of where we are,' White said. 'So I think our mental acuity has to be high. If we don't have time to go through everything on the floor, we've got to be able to lock in mentally.' Related : In the span of three seasons, the WNBA has gone from playing 36 games to 40 to 44. Players have had to adjust to back-to-back games becoming more common than back-to-back off-days. The Phoenix Mercury's Satou Sabally and the Minnesota Lynx's Napheesa Collier criticized the schedule earlier this season. Sun guard Bria Hartley — who has twice battled back from season-ending ACL tears — offered some perspective. 'I'm just blessed to be out there,' Hartley said. 'I feel the best I've felt in years. But I make sure I get my recovery, and I do a lot less than I did when I was younger.' Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve pointed out teams are better equipped to handle the demands of the schedule than they were even five years ago, thanks to everything from improved travel to more sophisticated medical staff, and more conditioning and recovery work by players. 'We all have an expanded staff. We all have resources now that we didn't have,' Reeve told reporters. 'Something that's probably not talked about much is the ways that we are able to support our players now from a sports performance standpoint, medical standpoint . . . I would say that's the thing that's different and it makes them able to handle more games.' Advertisement Who's hooping Angel Reese, Sky: The Sky stunned the Lynx on Sunday as Reese posted her eighth straight double-double. She has 14 in 20 games this season. She had 26 as a rookie, two shy of Alyssa Thomas's record. After starting the season 4-10, the Sky have won four of their last seven. Alyssa Thomas, Mercury: The Mercury lead the league in 3-pointers made per game with 10. Thomas hasn't taken one all season, but she's the catalyst — of her league leading 142 assists, 79 have led to 3s. Related : Appointment viewing WNBA All-Star Game, Team Collier vs. Team Clark, Saturday, 8:30 p.m.: The leading vote-getters will captain the two teams. Clark loaded her squad with her teammates Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell . Collier picked Lynx point guard Courtney Williams and swung a trade with Clark to make sure Cheryl Reeve coached her team, too. It all means souped-up versions of two teams with expectations of deep playoff runs. Julian Benbow can be reached at
