Xfinity Mobile Arena became the home of Unrivaled on Friday night. Fans flooded the arena in their favorite WNBA gear as Philadelphia made history, bringing the world\u2019s top WNBA players to the city for the women\u2019s basketball three-on-three league\u2019s first \u2014 and only \u2014 tour stop.<\/p>\n
The doubleheader, featuring the Breeze, Phantom, Rose and Lunar Owls, gave Philadelphia an early glimpse of what\u2019s to come in 2030, when the city gets its own WNBA team. <\/p>\n
From fans discussing the importance of the night at Stateside Live! to different activations at Xfinity Mobile Arena, here\u2019s everything you missed from the historic night …<\/p>\n
\u2018We\u2019re in the middle of history right now\u2019<\/p>\n
To celebrate the landmark event, The Stoop Pigeon by Watch Party PHL partnered with The Philadelphia Sisters and Unrivaled to host a pre-game party and watch party across the street from the stadium at Stateside Live!. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re in the middle of history right now,\u201d said Jean Leary, the founder of Watch Party PHL. \u201cUnrivaled is sold out and this will be the most attended women\u2019s basketball game in history and it\u2019s happening here in Philly. It\u2019s just so important for the city. It shows that not only did Unrivaled make the right decision coming here but that the WNBA made the right decision giving us a team in 2030.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event, which was thrown to build up excitement heading into the doubleheader, was free and open to the public. Fans traveled far and wide to witness history in the making, including 35-year old Connecticut native Corrine Sisk. <\/p>\n
\u201cWomen\u2019s basketball is so important in Connecticut,\u201d Sisk said. \u201cIt has been since I was a teenager. I\u2019ve been watching games like this since I was a little kid and I\u2019m so excited to see it happening countrywide. I think it\u2019s important that we support these women and they need to know that this is where everybody wants them to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018It\u2019s important for the younger girls\u2019<\/p>\n
Kiley Gelston, a 25-year-old New Jersey native, has been playing basketball ever since she could walk. As soon as she found out Unrivaled would make its way to Philly, she knew she had to had to be in the arena. <\/p>\n
During Friday\u2019s pregame party, Gelston, who is currently a high school basketball coach, recognized the impact the doubleheader would have on the younger generation. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important for the younger girls because they can see where they can get to,\u201d Gelston said. \u201cThey can have somebody to look up to, especially now with the women\u2019s basketball boon.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of those younger girls in attendance was 16-year-old Baylee Rubeck. As a big fan of the WNBA, and a major fan of Paige Bueckers, the Pennsylvania native was excited to see some of her idols take the court at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so excited to see everybody that I\u2019ve been following on social media,\u201d Rubeck said. \u201cI\u2019m so excited to finally get to watch all my role models. I look up to them so much because they\u2019re just amazing human beings. So I\u2019m just so excited to see that in person.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another Bueckers super fan in attendance was 15-year-old Laila Perez. Wearing her \u201cEveryone Watches Women\u2019s Sports\u201d T-shirt, she took the train from New Jersey to attend. <\/p>\n