Jessica Shoulders is a WNBA fanatic, and she has maintained her love for the “W” since 1999. Naturally, she is excited that Philadelphia is getting a team in 2030 — just don’t expect her to root for them.
Before the WNBA All-Star game on Saturday, Shoulders was one of two guests at Marsha’s, a women’s sports bar on South Street, to sink a free throw on a miniature basketball hoop. Her prize? A vintage San Antonio Stars Becky Hammon jersey. Shoulders was excited, but she made sure to quickly clarify to onlookers that she was not a Stars fan or a Las Vegas Aces fan — the team Hammon now coaches.
“I’m loyal to the Lynx,” Shoulders said.
And that won’t change for a free jersey, or even a new team coming to town.
“Cheryl Reeve has my heart,” she added, referring to the Minnesota team’s coach and president, who grew up in Gloucester County and graduated from La Salle. “And Olivia Miles — Rookie of the Year — I don’t care what anybody says, she’s been out here balling out. First to be able to get 500 points in 21 games.”
In Marsha’s, where a crowd gathered to watch Teresa Weatherspoon’s Team Spoon defeat Cynthia Cooper-Dyke’s Team Coop, 129-120, Shoulders was not the only fan planning to stay loyal to their current team come 2030.
“I could never switch allegiance,” said Em Friedman, a Golden State Valkyries fan who recently moved to Philadelphia. “But I can have a second favorite.”
In April, the NBA and WNBA Board of Governors formally approved a WNBA expansion team in Philadelphia after it was announced in June 2025. Like the 76ers, the franchise will be owned and operated by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. The team also will share a new South Philadelphia arena with the Sixers and the Flyers that is scheduled to open in 2031.
One person who will ditch her WNBA squad for the still-unnamed Philly team is Marsha’s owner Chivonn Anderson, who currently claims the New York Liberty.
“Oh no, they’re done,” Anderson said. “Like, they’re out the door. We got a lot of love to give in a small amount of time, but as soon as we get our own team, I think we will become fierce rivals.”
‘Share their story’
Before opening Marsha’s, Anderson struggled to find a space to watch and celebrate women’s sports. The tipping point for her came in 2019 when she got into an argument with a Philadelphia bartender over turning the women’s soccer World Cup final on one of the bar’s televisions.
“A couple of years later, I had the opportunity to purchase the building here, the liquor license and all the business assets to create this space where we highlight professional athletes,” Anderson said. “These women that sacrifice pretty much everything in their lives to get to this ultimate platform. We’re just here to share their story with everybody.”
The bar’s namesake comes from queer civil rights activist Marsha P. Johnson, who is best known for helping lead the 1969 Stonewall uprising. Since opening, Marsha’s has hosted events ranging from a deadlift competition to tarot card readings. Following the free-throw contest, Saturday drew in a crowd that was locked into the All-Star game from start to finish — for good reason.
New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones, playing for Team Spoon, won MVP honors in the tightly contested match. Jones logged 22 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists in 22 minutes off the bench. Notably, she became the first player in WNBA history to win league MVP, Commissioner’s Cup MVP, Finals MVP, and All-Star MVP.
“The atmosphere here is amazing,” Marsha’s patron Molly Coulter said. “The All-Star Game is a really exciting moment, and we’re going to be Philly fans when we finally get our team here, but we like seeing the stars. I like seeing the camaraderie on the court, honestly, like everyone having fun together.”
Not everyone packed in Marsha’s for the game was from the area.
Kathleen Bennett, a 16U baseball coach, was visiting Philadelphia for the first time for a tournament. The Syracuse, N.Y., native knew the All-Star game was on, so she went searching for somewhere to watch it with others.
“I heard that there was a really cool sports bar, a place to go to watch women’s sports,” Bennett said. “I knew that the All-Star game was tonight, and so I wanted to check it out and be a part of the scene.
“The WNBA is really the first prominent women’s professional sports league. It really had some staying power, and I can remember when it first started. Watching the [Houston] Comets back then. They were the team to beat. It’s really come a long way.”
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