Unrivaled’s first venture outside of Miami was as big a success as anyone could have imagined. XFinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia sold out with 21,490 people in attendance. It was a record for attendance at a regular-season women’s basketball game and at the arena, which is where the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers play.
PHILLY IS UNRIVALED👑 MAKING HISTORY AND BREAKING RECORDS 🩵💜 pic.twitter.com/YF0ivaVESX
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) January 31, 2026
That success proves how much interest fans in Philadelphia have in Unrivaled and women’s basketball in general—something that bodes well for the WNBA team set to debut in the city in 2030.
It also means that Unrivaled’s leadership will have to make some interesting decisions in the future. Obviously, they will want to replicate this success and play Unrivaled games in other cities in the future. Annie Costabile reported on January 30 that Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell said they would “be doing more of these in the future.” At the same time, however, they can’t overdo it.
A big part of Unrivaled’s appeal to players is that everything is in one place—games, practice facilities, weight rooms, child care facilities, and whatever else the players need. Avoiding the wear and tear that comes with constant travel is also appealing to players. So, Unrivaled will have to balance the comforts of having everything in one place and the financial opportunities that visiting other cities offers.
Unrivaled’s future is bright
No matter what Unrivaled’s leadership decides to do about traveling to other cities, the league’s future is bright. TV viewership may be down compared to last season, but tons of fans are streaming the games
, which doesn’t show up in the television viewership numbers. The number of tickets Unrivaled sold for two games in Philadelphia proves how much interest there is in the league, and that will only continue (or increase) as new talent joins the player ranks in the next few years.
This season featured a ton of newcomers, headlined by young stars like Paige Bueckers, Dominique Malonga, Sonia Citron, and Kiki Iriafen. Bueckers signed an NIL deal with Unrivaled before actually playing in the league.
Several college stars followed her example. Lauren Betts, Azzi Fudd, Flau’jae Johnson, Ta’Niya Latson, Olivia Miles, and Kiki Rice are all WNBA draft eligible this season, and, if Bueckers’s path is any indication, they will also make their Unrivaled debuts next year. College stars have brought fans to the pro game for a while now. This group of young talent should do the same for the W and Unrivaled.