Wanda Sykes stood beside Philly's power brokers on Monday at a press conference about plans for the new arena that the 76ers and Comcast Spectacor will build jointly at the sports complex in South Philadelphia. As part of that venture, Sykes will be one of the city's leading voices in a push to establish a WNBA team.
Best-known as a comedian and an actor on TV shows like "Curb Your Enthusiasm," Sykes also has carved out a role over the years as a witty sports commentator in a typically male-dominated industry. She was a major proponent of the WNBA when the league got off the ground in 1997. At one time, she held season tickets for the Los Angeles Sparks, one of the WNBA's eight original teams.
For more than a decade ago, Sykes has lived part-time in Delaware County, and she and her wife, Alexandra Niedbalski, have been at the forefront of the campaign to bring the city a WNBA team which they have proposed naming the Philadelphia Sisters.
"Watching (WNBA) games, my wife would always ask me, 'Why isn't there a team in Philadelphia?'" Sykes said at Monday's press conference. "And she asked me so much, I said, 'Why don't you make it happen?' And that's when I learned, don't challenge my wife."
Niedbalski is the director and owner of the Philadelphia Sisters Sports Group, which was founded in November 2019. She spent hundreds of hours lobbying for Philly to get a WNBA team, and at the press conference Niedbalski said she was thrilled the 76ers and Comcast came together on an arena deal, believing it will increase the city's odds of being awarded a WNBA franchise.
Since 2021, Niedbalski and Sykes have been meeting with investors, the NBA, city leaders, sponsors and other stakeholders to drum up momentum for a WNBA team. In December, Axios Philly reported that the couple has approached Kevin Hart, Questlove and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith – among other celebrities with Philly connections – to join their cause.
Mayor Cherelle Parker said Monday she started working with Niedbalski on the issue while still a City Council member.
"As of right now, I don't think we can dream of a better team together – the city, the mayor, Comcast, the 76ers – to promote a women's team," Niedbalski said.
The WNBA currently has 12 teams, most of which are connected to NBA teams and share the arenas where they play. Next season, the WNBA will add its 13th team, the Golden State Valkyries, and teams will be added in Toronto and Portland in 2026.
WNBA Commissioner Kathy Englebert said last fall the league will add a 16th team in 2027 or 2028. Philadelphia is one of 10 to 12 cities on the list for expansion in that timeframe, she said. The WNBA's popularity as has grown in recent years, propelled by young stars, like the Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky's Angel Reese.
A WNBA team in Philly isn't a done deal yet, Mayor Parker said, but she's encouraged by the opportunities a new arena in South Philly will create to help make a strong case. She said Comcast Spectacor, which is acquiring a minority stake in the 76ers as part of new arena plan, will be "vested" in the effort to get a WNBA team in Philly.
"I think it just strengthens our position to ... build a campaign and work to advocate for it," Parker said.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who spoke by video at the press conference, said he met with Parker last summer at the NBA offices in New York to talk about the future of basketball in Philadelphia.
"You told me that in addition to ensuring that the 76ers continue to play in a world-class arena in Philadelphia, you expressed a strong desire to bring a WNBA team to the city," Silver said. "I'm pleased to hear that several of our WNBA supporters are with you all today."
Sykes described Philadelphia as closer than ever to getting a professional women's team.
"I don't think our odds could be any more favorable than the position we're in right now," she said.