Book more arenas! Going to see a women’s sporting event live is an experience like no other. I've been to both ends of the Unrivaled experience. Last season in Miami, Wayfair Arena held just 850 people — more event space than arena, but intimate in the best way, not a bad seat in the house. But Philly? Philly was a different universe. No screen, no stream, no highlight reel can give you what that arena gave us on January 30th.
Before they announced it was a record-breaking attendance, I knew I was witnessing something special. The energy, the joy, the excitement buzzing from kids to grandmothers - everyone was on the same page. It was electric.
And then there was Dawn Staley sitting courtside. Staley, who grew up in North Philly, who played for the Philadelphia Rage in the ABL during the 1997-98 season when crowds barely cracked 3,000, was now watching from the best seat in the house as women's basketball filled every corner of that arena. I was crying. The place exploded. You cannot manufacture that. You have to be there.
Just this past weekend, I went to the USWNT She Believes Cup against Colombia, over 22,000 fans, and the next day, I was in the building for the New York Sirens' biggest home crowd yet. Every age, every background, every version of who we are — all of it in one building, screaming together. Women's sports fans have been starved for decades. These aren't just games. They're homecomings. You walk in a stranger and leave feeling like family. So do yourself a favor: buy the ticket, get in the car, and go.
