San Francisco's Chase Center, Valkyries to host 2027 WNBA All-Star Game

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will never forget the anticipation and energy she felt from an adoring crowd surrounding the Golden State Valkyries' first home game last year as a new franchise.

“It was the Valkyries' first game ever, and somehow it felt like this arena was filled with lifelong fans who had been following this league for 30 years,” Engelbert recalled. “It was the true sense that the team already belonged here.”

Now, Engelbert is bringing the WNBA All-Star Game to the Bay Area and “Ballhalla” next summer so all of women's basketball can experience what she did that night in May 2025.

Engelbert made the announcement Tuesday that the WNBA showcase game will be held July 31, 2027, at Chase Center after a weekend of All-Star activities around the San Francisco region.

“I remember looking around that night and thinking to myself, ‘This place is going to be special,' and in less than two seasons the Valkyries family has proven just how special it can be," Engelbert said. “The Bay Area community hasn't simply welcomed the Valkyries, this community has embraced the Valks as their team.”

And Golden State has waited for this moment all along. For Warriors and Valkyries owner Joe Lacob, this is decades in the making since he first began supporting women's basketball.

Lacob has loved women’s basketball for decades and became one of the original investors in the former American Basketball League with the San Jose Lasers. He bought the Warriors in 2010 then Golden State was granted an expansion team in October 2023.

“It is actually a great honor to be hosting the All-Star Game. All I will say for all of us at Golden State but me in particular, it is a full-circle moment, well it will be full circle when we win the championship,” Lacob said.

At the All-Star Game in Chicago last month, players' union president Nneka Ogwumike, who played in college at Stanford, said many players felt that Golden State would be a great host for next year's mid-summer exhibition game.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr and guard Gary Payton II were among those in the audience for the announcement at Chase Center, where a cable car was set up inside the arena for the occasion.

“When you walk into this building for a Valkyries game, it is unlike any experience,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said.

Hosting world-class events was always in the plans since long before Chase Center opened in 2019. The Valkyries have sold out all of their home games since the franchise's inception last year — and the team became the first expansion organization to make the playoffs in its inaugural year. Golden State lost to the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx. The Valkyries clinched a playoff berth for this year on Monday night with a win over Dallas.

The NBA All-Star Game was played at Chase Center last year.

“Hosting AT&T WNBA All-Star in only our third season is an incredible honor and a reflection of everything this fanbase, this region, and this organization have built together,” Valkyries President Jess Smith said. “From day one, the Bay Area has shown up for this team in a way that’s redefined what’s possible in women’s basketball, and we can’t wait to put that same energy on display for the entire league next summer.”

Last week, Major League Baseball announced the 2028 All-Star Game would return to nearby Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.

The Super Bowl was played in February at Levi's Stadium, which then hosted the World Cup this summer.

Smith can't wait for her team to add to that list — saying such an opportunity will never be taken for granted “to have a chance to be a part of the WNBA's growth.”

“But it's part of what we knew was possible from Day 1 with this organization,” she said. “We have embodied the bay's energy in every decision that we've made, along with the community and our fans and our players, and one of the things we keep in mind is this that we understand this is where the world looks to see what comes next, whether it's technology, innovation or how we treat people, how we connect what it means to gather, and we're doing that at Ballhalla. The opportunity to do that in honor of all those stakeholders here, on behalf of this league with the best players in the world, is immense.”

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes (15) celebrates following a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings in San Francisco, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

The Golden State Valkyries celebrate following a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings in San Francisco, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers brings the ball up the court against the Golden State Valkyries during the first half of a WNBA basketball game in San Francisco, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Fans at Chase Center cheer during a time out in the second half of a WNBA basketball game between the Golden State Valkyries and the Dallas Wings in San Francisco, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Fans watch from a general view at Chase Center during the first half of a WNBA basketball game between the Golden State Valkyries and the Dallas Wings in San Francisco, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska voters are choosing candidates for November’s general election in a series of primary contests Tuesday, including a U.S. Senate race that will be among the most closely watched in the nation this fall.

The campaign featured over a dozen contenders in each of the top races — for Senate, U.S. House and governor. Under Alaska’s open primary system, all candidates appear on the same ballot, and the four who receive the most votes qualify for the ranked vote general election.

Tuesday's ballot also included state legislative candidates and a statewide initiative that would reimpose campaign contribution limits in state and local elections.

The highest-profile candidates in a field of 16 were two-term Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola.

The race, which could help determine control of the Senate, has drawn significant attention from outside groups, with Republican and Democratic campaign organizations identifying it as a top target. Peltola shook up her campaign leadership days before the primary, letting her campaign manager go and elevating a deputy to that role. In a statement, the campaign described the changes as “staffing updates as we transition into the general election.”

Sullivan, a veteran and ally of President Donald Trump, has campaigned on supporting the military, opening more land for oil and gas extraction, and voting for Trump's signature tax and spending law. He accused Peltola of being aligned with Lower 48 “liberals.”

Peltola leaned into the “fish, family, freedom” slogan that first got her elected in 2022, and criticized a political system she said is rigged by special interests and allows politicians to enrich themselves.

But it was a third candidate, a Republican also named Dan Sullivan, who garnered much of the attention.

Dan J. Sullivan won a legal fight to appear on the ballot despite claims by the senator and GOP allies that he was a sham candidate running at the behest of Democrats with the intent of causing confusion. Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from the island community of Petersburg, denied that and said frustration with the incumbent prompted him to run.

He appeared on the ballot as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., with no party affiliation — a decision that a state elections official said was intended to minimize possible confusion. Meanwhile, the senator was listed as Dan S. Sullivan, Republican and incumbent. No other candidate seeking reelection has the “incumbent” label.

The drama involving the dueling Dan Sullivans caught the attention of Trump. In a social media post endorsing the senator days before the primary, he called the other's candidacy an attempt to trick voters and urged his followers to vote for “SULLIVAN, DAN S.”

The Senate race seemed to be top of mind for those who cast their ballots on the final day of voting.

Jeri Kissner said she wanted to shake up the status quo and thinks Congress must do more to push back against Trump. She favored Peltola in the Senate race because she did not like the other options.

“I’m so disappointed in our Congress to acquiesce to the president and his minions,” Kissner said.

Voter Tom Dienst, who described himself as an “extremely staunch Reagan Republican,” said he was looking for candidates with “good standards” and supported Sen. Sullivan. He said Trump needs allies to help carry out his agenda.

Dienst said it would be a shock if a Democrat won one of the main statewide races in November.

In the race for Alaska's only U.S. House seat, the most prominent candidates were Republican Rep. Nick Begich, seeking a second term, and independent Bill Hill, a fisherman and former educator from a small southwestern village.

Progressive Democrat Matt Schultz suspended his campaign last month but remained on the ballot. His campaign said Schultz would withdraw as a general election candidate if he makes the primary's top four.

Schultz urged support for Hill, who leaned into concerns about affordability. Begich, who was endorsed by Trump, cast himself as hardworking and effective in his role. House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared at a rally for Begich in a conservative part of the state this month, though the event was closed to news media.

The campaign for the state’s top executive office was an open race this year because Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy was barred by term limits from seeking a third consecutive stint.

Two Democrats hoped to emerge from a crowded, largely Republican field: former state lawmakers Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Tom Begich, who is Nick Begich's uncle. If either wins in November, he would become Alaska's first Democratic governor since Tony Knowles left office in 2002.

Republicans in the race included Bernadette Wilson, a businessperson and conservative activist; Click Bishop, a former state labor commissioner and lawmaker; Dave Bronson, former mayor of Anchorage; and Adam Crum and Treg Taylor, two former members of Dunleavy's Cabinet.

Former Gov. Bill Walker, an independent, also was on the ballot.

The lone ballot measure in the primary asked voters to reimpose campaign contribution limits, five years after a divided federal appeals court struck down a number of caps.

The measure proposes a $2,000 limit on how much individuals can give to candidates in state and local elections and a $5,000 cap on what they can give to political parties. It also would limit spending by groups other than political parties, and limit what individuals and groups can give to joint campaigns for governor and lieutenant governor.

Supporters say such limits are needed to prevent outsize influence by special interests and wealthy donors. Opponents say the measure would favor candidates with name recognition and restrict the free expression rights of contributors.

Political spending by wealthy people has become a flashpoint in races in Alaska and elsewhere. In 2025 in Wisconsin, billionaires Elon Musk and George Soros helped push spending in a state Supreme Court campaign past $100 million, the most ever for a court race in the U.S.

Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, who is seeking a third term, flashes a thumbs up after a passing motorist honked during a sign waving event at an intersection on primary election day in Anchorage, Alaska, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, speaks at a get out the vote event held at farm in Palmer, Alaska, on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

FILE - Alaska Republican U.S. Rep. Nick Begich walks down a corridor in the state Capitol before giving a speech to Alaska lawmakers, March 10, 2026, in Juneau, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File)

FILE - Alaska U.S. House candidate Bill Hill, an independent, speaks with people at a campaign fundraising event in Juneau, Alaska, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File)

FILE - Dan Sullivan, a candidate in Alaska's U.S. Senate race who shares his name with the incumbent seeking reelection, talks with a reporter, July 3, 2026, in Petersburg, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File)

FILE - Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, June 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

FILE - Alaska U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola, a Democrat, speaks during a campaign rally on May 14, 2026, in Juneau, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, file)