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Xfinity Mobile Arena became the home of Unrivaled on Friday night. Fans flooded the arena in their favorite WNBA gear as Philadelphia made history, bringing the world’s top WNBA players to the city for the women’s basketball three-on-three league’s first — and only — tour stop.
The doubleheader, featuring the Breeze, Phantom, Rose and Lunar Owls, gave Philadelphia an early glimpse of what’s to come in 2030, when the city gets its own WNBA team.
From fans discussing the importance of the night at Stateside Live! to different activations at Xfinity Mobile Arena, here’s everything you missed from the historic night …
‘We’re in the middle of history right now’
To celebrate the landmark event, The Stoop Pigeon by Watch Party PHL partnered with The Philadelphia Sisters and Unrivaled to host a pre-game party and watch party across the street from the stadium at Stateside Live!.
“We’re in the middle of history right now,” said Jean Leary, the founder of Watch Party PHL. “Unrivaled is sold out and this will be the most attended women’s basketball game in history and it’s happening here in Philly. It’s just so important for the city. It shows that not only did Unrivaled make the right decision coming here but that the WNBA made the right decision giving us a team in 2030.”
The event, which was thrown to build up excitement heading into the doubleheader, was free and open to the public. Fans traveled far and wide to witness history in the making, including 35-year old Connecticut native Corrine Sisk.
“Women’s basketball is so important in Connecticut,” Sisk said. “It has been since I was a teenager. I’ve been watching games like this since I was a little kid and I’m so excited to see it happening countrywide. I think it’s important that we support these women and they need to know that this is where everybody wants them to be.”
‘It’s important for the younger girls’
Kiley Gelston, a 25-year-old New Jersey native, has been playing basketball ever since she could walk. As soon as she found out Unrivaled would make its way to Philly, she knew she had to had to be in the arena.
During Friday’s pregame party, Gelston, who is currently a high school basketball coach, recognized the impact the doubleheader would have on the younger generation.
“It’s important for the younger girls because they can see where they can get to,” Gelston said. “They can have somebody to look up to, especially now with the women’s basketball boon.”
One of those younger girls in attendance was 16-year-old Baylee Rubeck. As a big fan of the WNBA, and a major fan of Paige Bueckers, the Pennsylvania native was excited to see some of her idols take the court at the Xfinity Mobile Arena.
“I’m so excited to see everybody that I’ve been following on social media,” Rubeck said. “I’m so excited to finally get to watch all my role models. I look up to them so much because they’re just amazing human beings. So I’m just so excited to see that in person.”
Another Bueckers super fan in attendance was 15-year-old Laila Perez. Wearing her “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” T-shirt, she took the train from New Jersey to attend.
An avid women’s basketball fan who started her own basketball YouTube channel called LP’s Bucket List, she was excited to attend her first women’s professional basketball game.
“It’s so cool, it’s kind of crazy,” Perez said. “I’m not used to seeing the players in person. … It’s important for women’s sports to be promoted in Philly because the more people see it and are around it, they’ll be more curious and want to to come and see what it’s all about.”
Although Philadelphia doesn’t have a WNBA team yet, this could be a glimpse of what the city will see in 2030.
“This is just the beginning,” Gelston said. “This is going to continue on for many years to come, hopefully. This is just a taste. It sucks that we have to wait until 2030 now. So it’s almost like a tease. But we can enjoy it now.”
Keeping the energy high
If Friday’s pregame party at Stateside Live! wasn’t enough to get fans excited for the doubleheader, then the activations might have done the trick, with the Sephora tunnel, which offered fans an opportunity to channel their inner WNBA star with their very own tunnel walk.
There were also plenty of merchandise tables for fans to get their own Unrivaled gear. However, lines at each table extended across various sections.
There were plenty of surprises throughout the night. Fans received a number of chances to win a Sephora goodie bag through music trivia, fashion competitions, and parachutes from the rafters.
And in between both games, hip-hop artist Lay Bankz performed several songs in front of the sold-out crowd, including her hit single “Tell Ur Girlfriend.”
