The WNBA All Star charity Girls in the Game was named a beneficiary of a $100,000 All-Star prize pool, and the organization’s public language about “moving beyond the binary of ‘girl’” has prompted questions about who is eligible for programs funded by the league and how those programs are described to families and partners.
WNBA All Star charity Girls in the Game
What the WNBA announced
The WNBA said the All-Star initiative will direct a $100,000 prize pool to two Chicago-area youth sports groups tied to All-Star teams. According to the league announcement referenced in reporting, the winning team’s affiliate will receive $70,000 and the runner-up’s affiliate will receive $30,000. Team Spoon is affiliated with Girls in the Game and Team Coop is affiliated with Angels Athletics.
The WNBA described the initiative as an effort to support organizations that help keep girls involved in sports. Reporting from OutKick/Fox News Digital relayed the league’s announcement and used that release as the basis for noting the named beneficiaries.
WNBA All Star charity Girls in the Game: what we know
Girls in the Game is a Chicago-based nonprofit that runs sports, health and leadership programs for youth. Its 2025 annual report says the organization served 3,059 participants in FY25, and that its Chicago After School program reached 921 participants during that period.
Program descriptions on the organization’s public pages reference activities in an “all-girl setting” emphasizing physical activity, healthy choices and leadership in a noncompetitive environment. The group also lists partnerships with schools, parks and community centers to deliver programming across the Chicago area.
What Girls in the Game says about inclusivity
On its public pages under a “We stand for inclusivity” heading, Girls in the Game states: “Moving beyond the binary of ‘girl’, we welcome LGBTQ+ youth and gender-expansive participants regardless of gender identity or expression.” The organization’s resource pages also point users to external services such as Howard Brown and Trans Lifeline and list community supports described as serving trans, non-conforming and questioning individuals.
That language appears alongside descriptions of “all-girl” settings, which has prompted questions among reporters, parents and some stakeholders about how the organization applies its inclusivity language to specific programs or activities that are labeled as girls-only.
Unverified eligibility and transparency questions
Public-facing program materials do not clearly state whether participation in specific girl-centered sports programs is limited by biological sex, determined by gender identity, or governed by another eligibility standard. That gap in public documentation is central to the transparency questions reporters noted in coverage.
OutKick/Fox News Digital reported it could not confirm whether any biological males have participated in Girls in the Game’s girl-centered programming. This article treats that point as an unverified claim because reporting noted failed confirmation attempts; no independent documentation confirming instances of biological males participating in those specific girl-centered sessions was provided in the coverage cited below.
OutKick/Fox News Digital also reported that Girls in the Game, Angels Athletics and the WNBA did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Those nonresponses are included here as part of the reporting record and as a reason why some eligibility questions remain unresolved.
Note on unverified items: Items explicitly labeled unverified in this article reflect reporting that organizations did not confirm participation details when contacted. The writer attempted to confirm program-level eligibility standards through the organizations named in coverage but did not receive clarifying responses prior to publication.
What parents, donors and stakeholders should know
Families and supporters looking to enroll children or donate should expect clear, written answers about program eligibility and fund use. Before enrolling or donating, ask organizations for specific, written policies that explain whether programs described as “all-girl” are limited by biological sex, by gender identity, or are otherwise structured as open, gender-inclusive activities.
- Request a copy of the program participation policy and examples of how it is applied in practice.
- Ask whether All-Star or other restricted donations will be earmarked for particular programs (for example, after-school all-girl programming) or added to general operating funds.
- For parents: confirm the language on intake forms, what privacy protections are in place, and whether staff receive training and protocols for safety in youth settings.
Clear, documented policies help families, schools and donors know what to expect and reduce confusion about program settings and participant eligibility.
FAQ
Is Girls in the Game the WNBA All Star beneficiary?
Yes. Reporting indicates Girls in the Game is the beneficiary associated with Team Spoon in the WNBA All-Star prize-pool initiative; Angels Athletics is the affiliate for Team Coop.
Does Girls in the Game accept transgender or gender-expansive participants?
Girls in the Game’s public-facing language states it “welcomes LGBTQ+ youth and gender-expansive participants.” Its resource pages list community supports and external services. Public materials do not clearly explain how that inclusivity language is applied to every program labeled as “all-girl.”
Have any biological males been confirmed in Girls in the Game programs?
A news outlet reported it could not confirm whether biological males have participated in girl-centered programming. That point remains unverified in the reporting we relied upon.
Source attribution and next steps
This article is based on reporting by OutKick/Fox News Digital and publicly available material from Girls in the Game. The OutKick/Fox News Digital story published details of the WNBA announcement and quoted the organization’s public language; that reporting also noted unsuccessful attempts to obtain comment from Girls in the Game, Angels Athletics and the WNBA.
What to watch for next: statements or press releases from the WNBA, Girls in the Game or Angels Athletics that provide program-level eligibility policies or detail how All-Star funds will be allocated. If those organizations publish clear participation policies, they can resolve the outstanding transparency questions noted above.
