Philadelphia to Reintroduce Women’s Professional Basketball

On Friday, Philadelphia is set to welcome women’s professional basketball back to the city after a long absence, marking a significant moment since 1998 when the Philadelphia Rage dissolved due to bankruptcy.

The Miami-based 3-on-3 League Unrivaled, co-founded by WNBA stars Brianna Stewart and Nafeesa Collier, is gearing up for its second season. The league will host games at the Xfinity Mobile Arena, with two games scheduled each night along with community activities leading up to the event.

The opening match will showcase Paige Bueckers’ team, the Brees, alongside the Phantoms, featuring Liberty guard Natasha Cloud, who hails from the Philadelphia area. Coppers Rose, another team in the league, recently finished a match against the Lunar Owls.

Back in October, plans for the barnstorming event were officially confirmed, and by mid-January, it was announced that 21,000 seats had already sold out. This excitement, it seems, is a definitive sign that Philadelphia is more than ready for women’s professional basketball; after all, by 2030, a WNBA franchise is projected to expand to the city.

“It really set the tone and showed everyone we were ready and excited,” said Mercury guard Copper, a four-time WNBA All-Star, when reflecting on the league’s imminent return.

For context, Philadelphia has seen its fair share of women’s basketball history. It hosted the Philadelphia Foxes in the Women’s Professional Basketball League during the late ’70s and saw the Rage play two seasons after relocating from Richmond.

Since then, the city has mostly focused on women’s college basketball, with notable figures like Staley, Cloud, and Maddie Siegrist—who became the Big East’s all-time leading scorer—making their mark here.

Though Copper didn’t grow up with professional women’s basketball as a major influence, she feels honored to uphold that tradition and carry forward the legacy of the sport in her hometown. Growing up, she was eager to emulate past WNBA players, often leaving her boarding school to train with Keisha Hampton, a local player who was considered one of the best in the area.

They now give back to the community through the 2K Skills and Drills Academy, a basketball development program aimed at empowering young women—something they both wish they had access to as kids.

“I come from a city where nothing was given to me,” Copper shared. “You have to work for what you want. This story is about inspiring little girls in Philadelphia who can look up to people from backgrounds like theirs and believe they can achieve anything.”

While Unrivaled’s visit is a fresh experience for the city, Copper believes it comes at an ideal time, reminiscent of WNBA exhibition games in Toronto in 2023.

Using the hashtag “#JustAKidFromNorFPhilly,” Copper is dedicated to showcasing her city’s significance within the evolving landscape of women’s professional basketball.

“I’m thrilled about the love from this city. Philadelphia is undeniably a basketball town,” Copper said. “It’s one of the best cities in the world.”

As part of her role, Copper is also guiding her teammates through Philadelphia this week, with a classic stop for cheesesteaks at Dalessandro’s.