Philly Was Unrivaled — And I Was There
First of all, people came to Philly from far and wide. The Northeast had just been smacked with a snowstorm earlier in the week, so honestly, I wasn’t even sure I was going to make the trip. I waited, holding my breath, watching the weather like my life depended on it. Finally—clear skies. All systems were a go. We were leaving Thursday.
Once the trip was locked in, I decided to do a little recon. I checked to see if the 76ers were playing at home. They were. Perfect. Since Unrivaled would be at the same venue, this was my chance to get my logistics straight.
Train ride? ✅
Ease of getting to the arena? ✅
Mental notes taken.
By game day, social media was buzzing nonstop with the “Philly Is Unrivaled” theme. The energy was already loud online, and people were planning to arrive early for the watch party. My Threads group was definitely among them.
We got there around 5:30 p.m. and let me tell you—the place was already CRAWLING.
SO. MANY. PEOPLE.
Already?! At a women’s basketball game?! I hadn’t experienced that before, but I loved every second of it.
At 6:00 p.m. sharp, we busted through the doors—and I mean busted. I had never seen anything like it. I would later learn that this night set the record for WBB regular season attendance and Xfinity Arena attendance, ever.
Let that sink in.
The atmosphere? Electric.
The basketball? Just as electric.
Phantom took down Breeze (GHOST GA-HANG), and the crowd was fully locked in. Phantom jerseys everywhere. Paige jerseys everywhere. Engagement was high from tip-off to buzzer. Tash absolutely put on a show.
Then came the Rose vs. Lunar Owls game.
Everyone expected Kah, the Point Gawd, and the crew to cook. But no one—and I mean NO ONE—expected Money Marina Mabrey to completely lose her mind (in the best way possible). If you haven’t seen her performance, stop what you’re doing right now and go watch it. Immediately. I’ll wait.
Now, let’s talk about the night from The Financial T perspective, because that’s where things get really interesting.
1. Lines. Everywhere.
And that’s a good thing. Lines mean people were spending—on merch, food, experiences, all things Unrivaled. I didn’t see one person mad about waiting. No complaints. Just decisions being made: “Do I risk missing part of the game or nah?” That’s a beautiful problem for a league to have.
2. Stars on stars on stars.
From GOAT Dawn Staley to 76ers players, Eagles players, and celebrities sprinkled all over the building—it really hit how important this night was. The weight of it. The visibility. This wasn’t just basketball; this was an event. And I already know many of us will be following Unrivaled to future tour stops—not just for the hoops, but for who might pop out next.
3. Attendance. Attendance. Attendance.
Over 21,000 people showed up. I didn’t see a single empty seat. Not one. If this level of success continues in upcoming tour cities, Unrivaled—and those cities—are looking at serious revenue growth. And let’s be real: no city wants Philly to outdo them, right?
In the end, I’m honestly pouting that we only got one night of this bliss. One wasn’t enough. But I’m already looking ahead to the rest of the tour.
My experience was truly… UNRIVALED.
