Unrivaled made history on its inaugural tour of the second season of the women’s three-on-three basketball league, drawing the largest attendance in history for a women’s basketball regular-season game.
The 21,490 fans in attendance Friday night saw the Phantom beat the Breeze 71-68 and the Lunar Owls beat the Rose 85-75 at the home of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers.
It was also the most attended event in the history of Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena.
“It was amazing,” said Napheesa Collier, the league’s co-founder. “You felt the love tonight. I’m so glad I came. I can’t express it better: I was filled with joy. It was incredible.”
Philadelphia will receive a WNBA expansion franchise in 2030, but has not hosted professional women’s basketball since the ABL’s Philadelphia Rage in 1998. A community event and clinic Thursday kicked off two days of festivities.
Several of Unrivaled’s investors, including Wanda Sykes, Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma, have ties to Philadelphia, and the game attracted figures such as basketball legend Dawn Staley, former Eagles standout Jason Kelce and his wife, Kylie, comedian Leslie Jones, “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts and Sixers guard Kyle Lowry.
Marina Mabrey, who recorded a league-record 47 points for the Lunar Owls, said it was “amazing” to see the support from the fans in Philadelphia.
“I don’t know what I expected, but I didn’t realize there was going to be this much buzz and this much support,” Mabrey said. “I think going to other cities would be great, as long as it’s viable for everyone who’s working hard to get us here.”
It was the first time Unrivaled, with an eight-week season that runs from early January to early March, played outside of its home base at the Sephora Arena in Medley, Florida. The league intends to remain headquartered in Florida but expand its road schedule to more cities starting in 2027, according to Collier.
“We want to visit numerous cities, making sure we serve the fans, but without completely changing our essence,” said Alex Bazzell, president of Unrivaled. “Players don’t want to travel to every game, but you like to go to a different environment, feel the energy of a city and go out and play. Having a full stadium tonight, for all the players, is what you want. You want to play in front of a sold-out crowd.”
Next up for Unrivaled will be returning to their home base in the Miami area with Hive taking on Mist and Laces playing Vinyl.
–Field level media
