PHILADELPHIA (AP) \u2014 Growing up in a Philadelphia suburb, Natasha Cloud cheered for the 76ers and, like many boys of her generation, admired Allen Iverson. Now a former WNBA champion and a standout with the New York Liberty, Cloud stepped onto the same court where Iverson once thrilled fans, glancing up at his retired No. 3 jersey and feeling the significance of the moment. Women’s professional basketball returned to Philadelphia for the first time in nearly three decades, with Cloud playing a key role in bringing it back.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s crazy to be here playing professionally in my hometown for the first time,\u201d Cloud reflected.<\/p>\n
Cloud represents the Phantoms BC, a team in Unrivaled, a rapidly growing 3-on-3 women\u2019s professional basketball league. The league is taking its show on the road for the first time outside of its Florida base, hosting two games in Philadelphia on Friday. The Phantoms will play against the Brees, followed by a second game where Philadelphia native Karlea Copper will lead the reigning league champion Rose against the Lunar Owls before a packed arena of 20,000 fans.<\/p>\n
Copper, the 2021 WNBA Finals MVP with the Chicago Sky, not only acted as a tour guide\u2014taking teammates to the local steakhouse D’Alessandro\u2019s\u2014but also helped promote the event, which required 64 tickets. \u201cI think the city is ready for women\u2019s professional sports,\u201d Copper said. \u201cI\u2019m excited both that it\u2019s finally here and that I\u2019m part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Philadelphia\u2019s basketball legacy has long been defined by men, from Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant to Sixers legends Allen Iverson, Julius Erving, and Joel Embiid. However, it has been almost 25 years since the city hosted a women\u2019s pro game\u2014the Philadelphia Rage played in the now-defunct American Basketball League back in 1998. Although Philadelphia native Dawn Staley has been a prominent figure for women\u2019s basketball nationally and honored with a street named after her in 2017, the city had yet to become a hub for women\u2019s pro basketball.<\/p>\n
Unrivaled\u2019s landing in Philadelphia marks a hopeful beginning for elevating the city as a center for women\u2019s basketball. A pep rally and watch party accompanied the games, with ticket prices and demand paralleling recent 76ers contests.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia is planning to build a new arena, anticipated to open by 2030, which is expected to house a future WNBA team.<\/p>\n
Despite the excitement, the crowd also cheered media members donning \u201cPhilly Loves Women\u2019s Sports\u201d sweatshirts, reflecting the event\u2019s broader significance amid the league\u2019s challenges. Unrivaled, in its second season, is facing declining TV ratings\u2014averaging 92,000 viewers on TNT and truTV, a 49% drop from the previous year, with primetime numbers significantly below the network\u2019s usual programming.<\/p>\n
Still, Cloud emphasized the large, enthusiastic crowd as proof of the growing demand and energy around women\u2019s sports and basketball in particular.<\/p>\n
Unrivaled, co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Nia Coffey, is using Philadelphia as a testing ground to see if expanding beyond its centralized Florida base can drive revenue growth and build a larger fan base.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to see Unrivaled tour more often,\u201d said Cameron Brink, a forward with the Brees and the LA Sparks. \u201cI knew this was a city that wanted to support women\u2019s basketball.\u201d Brink also made headlines by dunking for the first time in practice Thursday since sustaining an ACL injury in June\u2014a moment worthy of TikTok.<\/p>\n
Players like Brink and former collegiate standout Paige Bueckers (the 2021 AP Player of the Year) helped fill the venue and engaged with fans, especially young girls, demonstrating Philadelphia\u2019s eagerness to embrace women\u2019s pro basketball.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeeing a packed arena and the crowd\u2019s support for women\u2019s sports speaks volumes for our future, especially regarding getting a WNBA team,\u201d Bueckers said. \u201cIt\u2019s inspiring to see the game grow and receive support wherever we go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unrivaled CEO Alex Buzzell didn\u2019t take questions but made a surprise visit to the press room, hinting that more tour stops could be on the horizon.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will keep making the sports world proud with the products we bring,\u201d Buzzell said.<\/p>\n