January 31, 2026
Inside the record crowd that powered an Unrivaled night in Philadelphia
By Rob Knox
Temple's Diane Richardson: 'This shows that Philly is a women’s sports town. The support is here'
PHILADELPHIA — Natasha Cloud showed love the Philly way: up close, personal and real. She hugged kids, traded high-fives, lifted them up high and posed for photos. She signed posters, shirts and caps, transforming a few pregame minutes into something that would last far longer.
Continue reading with a subscription to The Next
Get unlimited access to women’s basketball coverage and help support our hardworking staff of writers, editors, and photographers by subscribing today.
Already a member?
Login
Along the sideline, Sabrina Ionescu met Cloud with a long embrace. Cameras clicked as Ionescu, dressed in a green sweater, waited patiently while a young girl sprinted back to her family to grab a phone. The selfie, when it came, made the night feel complete before the ball was tipped for Unrivaled‘s first-ever game in Philadelphia.
Following shootaround, Cloud reflected on Philadelphia’s basketball culture and the history that shaped the moment. She understood the opportunity existed because of those who came before her, and she did not take it lightly. While attending Philadelphia 76ers games growing up, Cloud had quietly dreamed of one day playing in the same building as her idol, Allen Iverson.
“We’ve had so many greats come before us that I’m standing on the shoulders of now,” Cloud told reporters after shootaround. “All of us are standing on the shoulders of others. When I walked onto the court today, I looked up at the rafters and had this distinct memory of coming here with my school, sitting in the suite watching the Sixers play. How crazy is it that I’m about to play professionally in my hometown for the first time? That’s a blessing I’m really grateful for.”
The IX Basketball, a 24/7/365 women’s basketball newsroom powered by The Next
The IX Basketball: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX Sports. 24/7/365 women’s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.
From the moment Cloud was greeted with an ear-splitting roar during team introductions, Xfinity Mobile Arena crackled with electricity. It never let up. The building throbbed during Philadelphia-native hip-hop star Lay Bankz’s between-game performance, then rose again when Marina Mabrey scored the final basket of her Unrivaled single-game record 47-point night at 11:03 p.m. Eastern time.
The thunderous ovation sealed what the record crowd of 21,490 already knew: This inaugural tour stop was historic, and Philly is indeed Unrivaled. Throughout the evening, the buzz carried a homecoming feel, especially for Cloud and Kahleah Copper, a native of North Philadelphia.
“I think it was awesome to see them come out and support us like that,” Mabrey, a New Jersey native, told reporters postgame. “I don’t know what I expected, but I didn’t realize it was going to be so much hype around it and so much support. … We’re going to look back and say that we were the first to play in Philly when Unrivaled traveled.”
They also have the distinction of being part of a night like no other.
Unrivaled set the all-time attendance record for a regular-season professional women’s basketball game, according to the league. It surpassed the previous mark of 20,711 for a game between the Indiana Fever and the Washington Mystics on Sept. 19, 2024, at Capital One Arena. The game also set the attendance record for an event of any kind at Xfinity Mobile Arena, eclipsing 21,424 for a Backstreet Boys concert on Sept. 29, 1999.
That the Phantom beat the Breeze, 71-68, and the Lunar Owls defeated Rose BC, 85-75, won’t necessarily be remembered years from now. This night belonged to the fans, who enthusiastically showed up and showed out.
“This is lit,” said Morgan Parish, a Philadelphia native and Emmy Award-winning Fox 29 news anchor sitting along the baseline. “I mean, it just shows you how big the WNBA has become. It’s sold out. Everybody’s in here. The energy is good. … You walk in and it’s just good vibes.
“I never imagined a night like this in Philly for women’s basketball. To be at something like this and see how big it is, I’m just so grateful to be here.”
Philadelphia royalty from South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley to former NBA guard Jameer Nelson to former Little League World Series baseball star Mo’ne Davis sat close to the court. Staley sat in the front row, eating popcorn and drinking water.
For Davis, who spoke to The IX Basketball on the concourse after talking with one of her middle school teachers, this night was a long time coming. Davis reflected on the significance of WNBA players’ one and only stop in Philadelphia. Growing up, she never saw a women’s basketball team in the city, so this moment was deeply personal and symbolic of women’s sports’ rising popularity.
“You get to see just the love that the city has for their sports teams and for the WNBA team that’s going to come here [in 2030 as the league’s 18th franchise],” Davis said. “There are so many people here, and I just know that I’m going to have a great time. …
“I watched all these players growing up. I was inspired to be just like them, seeing everything that they’ve done off the court as well, just to help the game grow. I’m really excited to be here.”
Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast and Women’s Sports Daily
We are excited to announce the launch of TWO new podcasts for all the women’s sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of women’s sports news and analysis. Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to subscribe!
Celebrity actresses Leslie Jones and Wanda Sykes posed for plenty of selfies. Jones and Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts shared a heartfelt hug between games. Philadelphia 76er forward Andre Drummond and guard Kyle Lowry, along with Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Jaylx Hunt, also took in the action courtside.
With the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection hosting its first professional women’s basketball game since the Philadelphia Rage played in the now-defunct ABL in 1998, the arena felt like a revival, a family reunion and a never-ending house party all at once. The energy moved through the building like a current, vibrating from seat to seat and row to row.
“This was an amazing environment,” Aaliyah Edwards told reporters postgame. “Shoutout to Unrivaled for putting this beautiful event together and giving these players, coaches and all women’s basketball fans the opportunity to be a part of where women’s basketball is going and moving in a great direction.”
The hunger and excitement of the crowd were on full display during media timeouts. The in-house DJ blared tracks from Philadelphia artists Eve, Meek Mill and Freeway; Sephora merchandise parachuted from the ceiling; and long merchandise lines snaked throughout the concourse.
Clustered together, fans waited patiently — some for close to 30 minutes — to buy hoodies, jerseys and T-shirts from merchandise stands. One fan was sent to another vendor in search of a Paige Bueckers jersey and found one.
The line became a symbol of cultural momentum in real time: a crowd willing to stand, wait and commit just to wear the message and be a part of a monumental evening. It was proof that Unrivaled and women’s basketball in Philadelphia are here to stay.
“This night has been amazing so far,” Jade Boone, a content creator and editor at NFL Films, told The IX Basketball. “Just seeing the energy, the crowd and how many people really care about women’s basketball, it’s truly unmatched. If people say they’re not watching women’s sports, they’re lying. Visibility matters.”
This night mattered.
Just ask Temple University head coach Diane Richardson. Her team flew to New Orleans later that night for a Saturday evening game, rearranging its travel plans to attend Unrivaled. Tulane University adjusted the game’s start time to make it possible. The Owls enjoyed the event from a suite before hustling to the airport.
“When Unrivaled announced the date, we were like, ‘That’s got to change,’” Richardson said courtside pregame. “We asked our opponent for flexibility and told them how special this was for us because we’ve literally been boots on the ground for Unrivaled. This shows that Philly is a women’s sports town. The support is here. When the WNBA gets here, these seats should be full. It meant a lot for our program to experience this. Some of them couldn’t even sleep Thursday night.”
That detail was confirmed by junior guard Kaylah Turner, who leads the American Athletic Conference in scoring at 17.4 points per game. For Turner and her teammates, the night carried a deeper purpose.
“It’s a little surreal being here with so many stars around,” Turner said. “I hope I’ll play in this league one day. We’re fans of these players. Rickea Jackson is a popular one for our team. We were watching closely — how they communicate, how much they talk on defense. We took notes on things we can bring back to our own team.”
The IX Soccer is here!
In case you missed it, The IX Sports introduced a new women’s soccer-specific vertical called The IX Soccer!
Just like The IX Basketball, this will be your destination for 24/7 women’s soccer coverage, including exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes looks at your favorite teams and leagues, as well as news from around the world.
Follow the link below and bookmark the page to stay up to date on the latest headlines in women’s soccer.
That sense of inspiration stretched throughout the building, reaching well beyond the college players. It followed fans into the concourse and lingered long after the final buzzer, especially for those who once imagined moments like this from afar.
Among them was Chanelle Harris, the head girls’ basketball coach at Penn Wood High School outside of Philadelphia. Harris played at Lincoln University from 2007 to 2010. When she played in high school, the WNBA was less than 10 years old.
“The vibes are indescribable,” Harris told The IX Basketball on the concourse. “Everywhere you turn, you see a WNBA jersey. You see someone wearing an ‘Everyone supports women’s basketball’ shirt or a UConn jersey. You couldn’t have told me growing up that women’s basketball would be here. It gives me chills seeing all of this.”
Harris paused, then smiled.
“I feel like a kid watching all my favorite players right now,” she said. “I wish I were in high school again so I could have all the opportunities these young girls have today. We didn’t have this growing up. It’s just amazing to be here.”
Philadelphia was the first of what Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell believes will be a blueprint for the league moving forward. He told assembled media covering each team’s shootaround earlier in the afternoon, “We will be doing more of these in the future.”
For Cloud, the night was bigger and brighter than the dream she’d carried into this building as a child. This time, she wasn’t looking up at the rafters. She was responsible for creating something lasting, alongside a record crowd that would remember the night long after it ended.
“The city of Philadelphia came out and showed love,” Rose BC head coach Nola Henry told reporters postgame. “It was sold out and a crazy environment. Just what women’s basketball deserves.”
Your business can reach over 3 million women’s sports fans every single month!
Here at The IX Basketball and The IX Sports, our audience is a collection of the smartest, most passionate women’s sports fans in the world. If your business has a mission to serve these fans, reach out to our team at BAlarie@theixsports.com to discuss ways to work together.
Written by Rob Knox
Rob Knox is an award-winning professional and a member of the Lincoln (Pa.) Athletics Hall of Fame. In addition to having work published in SLAM magazine, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Washington Post, and Diverse Issues In Higher Education, Knox enjoyed a distinguished career as an athletics communicator for Lincoln, Kutztown, Coppin State, Towson, and UNC Greensboro. He also worked at ESPN and for the Delaware County Daily Times. Recently, Knox was honored by CSC with the Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award and the NCAA with its Champion of Diversity award. Named a HBCU Legend by SI.com, Knox is a graduate of Lincoln University and a past president of the College Sports Communicators, formerly CoSIDA.
