Happy National Girls and Women in Sports Day to all who celebrate!
The recent exponential uptick in women’s sports engagement has been nothing short of phenomenal. Many leagues are expanding, and newer leagues are blossoming. But even with the expansions and record-breaking viewership sometimes spanning across different teams and locations, there is one area that is dominating the women’s sports scene: New York/New Jersey.
In the New York City surrounding area exist the New York Liberty, New York Sirens, NJ/NY Gotham FC, New York Charging, and the soon-to-be New York Exiles. New York is also at the top of the shortlist for the new Women’s Professional Baseball League.
New York Sirens
The PWHL has taken the hockey world by storm in the last year and just continues on the up and up. The New York Sirens, who play at the Prudential Center in New Jersey, are currently third in the league after a rocky first season and are primed to go on a run during this year’s playoffs. Due to their rocky inaugural season (playing-wise, the fans and community have always been stellar), the Sirens drafted Sarah Fillier as the first-overall pick in the 2024 draft. Fillier’s style of play and star power have certainly brought more fans to the Rock and a spark to this team. Although the team draws fewer fans than its Canadian counterparts, the fans are loyal and truly live up to the Sirens’ slogan of “full-volume hockey.”
NJ/NY Gotham FC
The local women’s soccer team has seen a tremendous amount of growth over the last few seasons. Before the rebrand, “Sky Blue FC” was struggling to draw crowds and saw little engagement. Recently, however, Gotham FC regularly sees fans swarm Red Bull Arena in droves by the thousands. Gotham FC won the 2023 NWSL title, made it to the NWSL semifinals in 2024, and are prepared to do whatever it takes to get back to the championship this season. Gotham FC’s general manager and head of soccer operations sent an email to loyal Gotham fans explaining the team’s outlook is “always building, never finished,” a statement that likely resonates with every woman’s league seeing growth right now.
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty took home their first WNBA Championship title in 2024, topping a very strong Minnesota Lynx team. With all eyes on the “W” this season due to an uptick in viewership, thanks to a surge in women’s college basketball, the Liberty took the attention in stride, seemingly harnessing the flair and attitude of the iconic Ellie the Elephant, the Liberty’s mascot. The Liberty saw a 64 percent increase in ticket sales and a 152 percent increase in season ticket holders from 2023. Although the team will not see the first overall draft pick this season, the pool of talent coming into the league is sure to boost the Liberty to another championship run this year.
With more leagues to come and more teams to cheer for, local fans should don their teal (the color used by all New York women’s teams at present) and root for their teams and the growth of women’s sports for all. Whether attending in person or cheering from home in team gear, supporting women’s sports is an important endeavor that everyone can and should partake in. Showing young girls that there is space for them in the professional sports world is inspiring and uplifting, and what better place to root for women’s sports than the New York/New Jersey area?
