The WNBA All-Star Weekend at Gainbridge Fieldhouse will mark a league first: a game played entirely with reusable beverage cups. The initiative is part of Ocean Conservancy’s “Protect Where We Play Tour,” coinciding with Plastic Free July.
The tour partnership between Ocean Conservancy and the Green Sports Alliance (GOAL), announced on July 11, aims to reduce plastic pollution at member venues. The All-Star Game on July 19, featuring Napheesa Collier as team captain, will be the first WNBA game to eliminate single-use plastic cups for beverages.
The “Protect Where We Play” initiative leverages sports and entertainment events to mobilize fans for ocean conservation. Tour organizers estimate it will prevent at least one million single-use cups from becoming waste. Bold Reuse, a reuse service provider, manages cup operations at participating venues.
According to Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup data, plastic beverage cups are among the most common items polluting beaches. That program has mobilized millions of volunteers since 1986 and removed over 380 million pounds of trash globally.
Collier, leading Team Collier against Team Clark, is a “Team Ocean Captain” supporting the initiative.
“Being an All-Star captain is an incredible honor for me,” Collier said. “I’m especially proud that I can use this moment to help protect our sport and our planet.”
Collier highlighted the urgency of plastic pollution.
“Every minute that I’m on the court, more than a garbage-truck’s worth of plastics enters the ocean,” Collier said. “We need to reduce plastics wherever we can. I’m proud to play at the WNBA’s first fully reusable game.”
GOAL Executive Director Kristen Fulmer praised the collaboration.
“We’re excited about this activation,” Fulmer said. “It’s the perfect combination of mission alignment and funding for operational changes.”
She credited Ocean Conservancy for funding solutions that help venues implement sustainable practices. “These are win-win partnerships,” Fulmer added.
Chief brand and communications officer at Ocean Conservancy Jenna DiPaolo emphasized the ocean’s vital role.
“The ocean is our planet’s MVP,” DiPaolo said. “Even in Indianapolis, every second breath we take is powered by the ocean.”
She thanked the WNBA, GOAL and Gainbridge Fieldhouse for leading during Plastic Free July.
The “Protect Where We Play Tour” launched in June at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for Coldplay concerts. Additional summer stops include Savannah’s Enmarket Arena (The Lumineers), UBS Arena in New York (Billie Eilish) and others.
Team Ocean Captains include Collier, NFL’s Kelvin Beachum, MLB’s Brent Suter, Paralympian Ezra Frech, surfer John John Florence and ballerina Katherine Barkman.
For more information on other happenings during WNBA All-Star, visit wnbaallstar2025.com.
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846 or via email at noralp@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on Facebook @HorsemenSportsMedia. For more WNBA All-Star news like Plastic Free July, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
