OUR MISSION
A National Movement,
Built City by CitY.
Sisters Sports Group empowers communities across the U.S. to build thriving, locally led women’s sports networks. We provide the framework, resources, and national connections to transform grassroots passion into lasting infrastructure for women’s sports.
Our Philadelphia flagship proves what’s possible: a city can go from having no significant professional women’s sports presence to becoming a vibrant hub for athletes, fans, and brands. Now, we’re scaling that success nationwide.
We partner with mayors, tourism boards, community advocates, and corporate sponsors to mobilize local leadership, develop strong boards, and forge strategic partnerships that keep women’s sports thriving.
As a result of our work, we guarantee that all fans—young girls, collegiate athletes, families, men, young boys, and the LGBTQIA+ community—don’t just fill the stands to watch the game; they see themselves as part of it. This is the future of sports entertainment, and it starts now.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
2019
The story begins
At a wedding in New York, a casual conversation turns serious. Alex Niedbalski-Sykes and Wanda Sykes chat with a friend and NBA executive before arriving at a question they didn’t even know was gnawing at them:Why doesn’t Philadelphia—a major sports city—have a single professional women’s sports team? That moment plants the seed for what would become The Philadelphia Sisters.
Shortly thereafter, the couple went on to trademark the Philly Sisters™, create the organization’s logo, and website.
2020-2022
Growing partnerships
The Philly Sisters™ founding team forms, connecting with investors and civic leaders, building their network, and presenting their vision to WNBA leadership.
The team met with:
Philadelphia Councilwoman Cherelle L. Parker
Former Senator Tom Wolf
David Adelman, limited partner of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which owns and operates the Philadelphia 76ers
Billie Jean King
Dawn Staley
Local Philadelphians
The Philly Sisters™ lobbied to get powerful changemakers on board, including:
76ers owners
HBSE
Comcast
The Philly Sisters™ raise $50 million in soft commitments for the mission.
The Philly Sisters™ create their dream-team advisory board, consisting of key players in the professional women’s sports industry, professional men’s sports industry, and local government official.
2023 - 2024
Meetings, meetings, meetings
Thousands of meetings later—held on Zoom, in-person, and on the phone—public media begins to highlight the Sisters’ campaign. The team’s relationships with civic leaders, celebrities, sports executives, and local organizers who believe in the mission drives the movement to become more public—and more powerful.
June 2025
The WNBA announcement
The Philadelphia 76ers ownership formally submits a bid for a WNBA expansion team in January, tied to plans for a new arena. By June 30, the WNBA announced three new franchises, including Philadelphia.
Founder of Philly Sisters™ and President of the Sisters Sports Group, Alex Niedbalski-Sykes, along with wife, founding partner and board member Wanda Sykes, stand alongside NBA commissioner Adam Silver, Chairman of 76 Dev Co David Adelman, Comcast CEO Brian L. Roberts, Founder and General Managing partner of Harris Blitzer (HBSE) Josh Harris, and David Blitzer wherein HBSE and Comcast made their official bid to bring a WNBA team to Philadelphia.
october 2025
Unrivaled Comes to Philly
Philadelphia was named the host of Unrivaled's first-ever tour stop. "Philly is Unrivaled Presented by Xfinity" is announced for January 30, 2026 at Xfinity Mobile Arena, the first women's professional basketball games in the city since 1998. The Philadelphia Sisters™, including Unrivaled investors Alex and Wanda Sykes, are credited alongside Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and Xfinity for making it happen.
The Sisters expanded the revenue model by securing major sponsorship partnerships, including Xfinity as the title sponsor, with additional multi-year partnership contracts brought directly to the table — demonstrating our ability to attract and retain top-tier corporate partners.
The Sisters also produced a large-scale community activation in partnership with Under Armor and Unrivaled: a clinic bringing together 200 Philly girls hoopers and 40 of the world’s top players. This event reflects our core model using elite sport as a vehicle for deep community engagement and brand activation.
December 2025
A Beer for the Movement
The Sisters identified and developed the beer concept from the ground up, showcasing our ability to create and commercialize original brand partnerships turning an idea into a revenue-generating asset aligned with our business model. ACME, GIANT, and another 30 local bars are distributing. The plan is to create more branded products. Please share ideas!!
January 2026
Unrivaled Shatters Records In Philly
On January 30, 2026, Philadelphia showed the world what we've always known: this is a women's sports town.
UNRIVALED's tour stop at Xfinity Mobile Arena shattered records, drawing 21,490 fans—the largest crowd in women's professional basketball history and the biggest event the arena has ever hosted. From fans lining up hours before tipoff to celebrities like Dawn Staley, Jason and Kylie Kelce, and Robin Roberts filling the stands, Philadelphia proved that women's sports isn't just the future—it's right now.
May 2026
Professional Women's Tennis Is Coming to Philadelphia
The Sisters aren’t just “hosting” a WTA event in Philadelphia — we made it happen!! From securing Enable Care as the title sponsor to raising 90% of the total sponsorship revenue, we drove the full commercial engine behind the event. We also led ticket sales and built community activations rooted in Philadelphia’s culture and consistent with our values of inclusion, impact, and authentic local engagement.
2026 - 2027
WNBA. NWSL. The sky is the limit.
PARTNER WITH US
We partner with mayors, tourism boards, community advocates, and corporate sponsors to mobilize local leadership, develop strong boards, and forge strategic partnerships that keep women’s sports thriving.
