Nestled inside at this time’s marathon press convention in regards to the partnership between the 76ers and Comcast Spectacor to construct a brand new area in South Philly was some promising information for girls’s basketball followers: The push for Philly’s long-discussed WNBA enlargement franchise is a precedence.
Actually, Comcast is becoming a member of the hassle as a minority stakeholder in a possible Philly WNBA franchise.
“The icing on the cake is we’re working collectively to deliver the WNBA to Philadelphia, which I feel may very well be wonderful as nicely,” mentioned Brian L. Roberts, CEO and chair of Comcast on the press convention, which additionally introduced his firm’s partnership with the Sixers to develop the brand new area in South Philly and revitalize Market East. The shock of that information on Sunday elicited pleasure from Heart Metropolis Area opponents and shock and anger from some council members who took very troublesome votes for the unique plan.
The Sixers’ push for a WNBA franchise in Philadelphia was promised within the Heart Metropolis area plan. The addition of Comcast as a minority stakeholder within the attainable enlargement crew is a brand new wrinkle.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver was reportedly a part of the hassle that introduced the Sixers again to the South Philly sports activities complicated. He attended Monday’s press convention just about and spoke encouragingly of the probabilities.
“I enormously admire the management of Mayor [Cherelle] Parker and Governor [Josh] Shapiro and the willingness of [Sixers’ owners] HBSE and Comcast to affix forces, the results of which shall be a world-class area for 76ers and Flyers followers, with alternatives for extra groups to come back,” Silver mentioned.
Esther Rosen, a grassroots advocate for a Philly WNBA franchise who runs the favored ”WNBA Philly” social media accounts, known as the replace “very thrilling information.”
“No matter will get us a crew, finally,” she wrote in an electronic mail. “The WNBA Philly group appears stoked in regards to the franchise bid information as nicely.”
The WNBA at present has 12 groups, with the Golden State Valkyries becoming a member of within the upcoming season and franchises in Toronto and Portland scheduled to make it 15 by 2026. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert — a Collingswood, N.J. native — mentioned in October {that a} sixteenth crew is slated for 2027 or 2028, and confirmed that Philly was on the listing of 10 to 12 viable candidates. The league has been vocal about eager to see NBA groups hooked up to enlargement franchises.
Watch Celebration PHL has additionally advocated for a WNBA franchise on the grassroots stage. Its host and founder, Jen Leary, known as the brand new proposal a win for everybody, saying that the bid is strengthened by the inclusion of Comcast and eradicating the divisiveness that got here with the Heart Metropolis area.
“Now that everybody is on the identical web page, now that there’s this enormous partnership with the investor teams, the Sixers and Comcast, and so they listened to the individuals of Chinatown, it’ll be a lot simpler for the individuals of Philadelphia to get behind this,” she mentioned.
Using a wave of curiosity in girls’s sports activities that surged with then-collegiate star Caitlyn Clark final yr, “The W” had a breakthrough final season, with a median attendance of 9,807, up a staggering 48% from the earlier yr. It additionally had a brand new report attendance of 20,711.
A Philly bid, spearheaded by comic Wanda Sykes and her spouse Alex Niedbalski-Sykes, has been within the works since 2021. The couple have been at Metropolis Corridor Monday for the replace, confirming their involvement within the present bid.
They’re hardly alone. Among the many large names concerned within the bid for the crew — that might doubtlessly be known as the Philadelphia Sisters — have been Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant, actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, tennis legend Billie Jean King, South Carolina Gamecocks coach Daybreak Staley, and the Roots drummer Questlove. Then-Councilperson and now-Mayor Cherelle Parker supported the hassle, as did Sixers co-owner David Adelman and Comcast, Niedbalski-Sykes revealed at Monday’s press convention.
“To see them standing up there at this time actually renewed my hope that this might really be a risk right here in Philadelphia, and sooner relatively than later,” Leary mentioned of the couple.
“I don’t suppose our odds may very well be any extra favorable than the place we’re in proper now,” Sykes mentioned on the press convention. “With the help of the mayor, this wonderful crew, Governor Shapiro. Simply thanks, that is simply such a tremendous day
“And go Birds,” Sykes closed, apologizing to Sixers’ Josh Harris, who additionally owns the NFL’s Washington Commanders.