Originally published by Forbes → Read the article here.
In 2019, Alex Niedbalski-Sykes complained to her wife, comedian and actress Wanda Sykes, about how Philadelphia didn’t have any major women’s sports franchises. Shortly after, during a dinner on their friends’ porch, the two relayed their conversation to Ashley Lunkenheimer and her wife, Starla Crandall, and asked what they thought about bringing a WNBA franchise to the city and area they now call home.
“My wife and I were like, ‘That would be the greatest thing ever,’” said Lunkenheimer, a longtime attorney who spent nine years as an assistant United States Attorney in Philadelphia. “Not that we knew what to do, but why not?”
From there, the friends formed the Philadelphia Sisters, a group that has been crucial in the rise of women’s sports in the city. This week, Philadelphia is home to a WTA 125 women’s professional tennis tournament, the first time the city has had a WTA event since 2005. Earlier this month, the Women’s Lacrosse League held its inaugural championship game in Chester, Pa., just outside of Philadelphia.