By: Elizabeth Rakow
Published On: 3/19/2026
WE TRIED IT:
Basketball with The Philadelphia Sisters
The Philadelphia Sisters inspire a few first-timers to take a shot at basketball.
It may come as a surprise that we’ve never tried basketball. As far as our We Tried It series goes, the activities range from Flag Football and Lacrosse to Floating Yoga and Birdwatching (with plenty of other obscure ideas in between).
Ranked as the third most popular sport in the world, basketball has an estimated 2.2 billion fans and 600 million players globally. Not to mention, our hometown of Philadelphia has its very own NBA (and soon to be WNBA) teams. How have we skipped over it for this long?
Well…let’s just say we were waiting for the right moment, and when the opportunity struck to work with the Philadelphia Sisters, an organization working to bring professional women's sports to our city, and March’s renowned college tournament was upon us, we knew it was time. Sneakers laced up, team colors chosen, and water bottles filled, we prepared to dribble, shoot, and sprint (if required).
Follow along with team FP Movement as we (finally) try basketball.
Ranked as the third most popular sport in the world, basketball has an estimated 2.2 billion fans and 600 million players globally. Not to mention, our hometown of Philadelphia has its very own NBA (and soon to be WNBA) teams. How have we skipped over it for this long?
Well…let’s just say we were waiting for the right moment, and when the opportunity struck to work with the Philadelphia Sisters, an organization working to bring professional women's sports to our city, and March’s renowned college tournament was upon us, we knew it was time. Sneakers laced up, team colors chosen, and water bottles filled, we prepared to dribble, shoot, and sprint (if required).
Follow along with team FP Movement as we (finally) try basketball.
WHERE WE WENT
We had the pleasure of playing at the Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center. Located in North Philadelphia’s Nicetown neighborhood, the spacious, sun-lit gym was created to provide a safe space for youth in the community to access basketball and non-basketball programming. Designed with versatile spaces for education and recreation, the gym offers a welcoming energy that we felt as soon as we walked in. The high-end amenities are offered to youth all across the city to give them the very best in academic, social, and vocational development. Our coaches for the day, Phi and Q, normally coach 5th and 6th grade teams (a good joke about our comparable skill levels is just waiting to be told) and lended their talents, warmth, and energy to our group for the day as we took to the court.
WHAT WE DID
We arrived at the gym on a sunny March Tuesday, excited to rep our team colors and get a mid-morning sweat in. Some of us had played a little basketball growing up, but a few were taking a chance on a sport they’d never had much success with. “Even though I’m bad at basketball (and never made my middle school team), I’m excited to play with everyone and learn the basics!” said Claire, a member of the FP copy team.
Our coaches gave us a quick introduction and we started off with some stretching and jogging to warm up. Once acclimated, we did a few passing drills: chest, bounce, and overhead, to be specific. Thorough in their instruction, Phi and Q made sure we could repeat the name of each new skill back to them. A shooting relay was next as we split into the Blue Team and Green Team (as our outfits implied) officially and took to separate ends of the gym. The Blue Team came out on top with a few banked-in free throws to thank.
Next was a layup relay race, where we had to dribble from one end of the court to the next, score a layup, and then race to the other side and repeat the same shot. The first team to finish wins (gym class style). The Green Team too the W, leading up to what would be a competitive final round.
We finished the day with a game of 5-on-5. A good amount of ball movement and some fast break steals, had the Green Team once again finishing on top. Three consecutive makes by Sophia, the sleeper MVP of the day, brought them to their final victory. “The trick is not letting them know you know how to play,” she cheekily stated after the fact.
Our coaches gave us a quick introduction and we started off with some stretching and jogging to warm up. Once acclimated, we did a few passing drills: chest, bounce, and overhead, to be specific. Thorough in their instruction, Phi and Q made sure we could repeat the name of each new skill back to them. A shooting relay was next as we split into the Blue Team and Green Team (as our outfits implied) officially and took to separate ends of the gym. The Blue Team came out on top with a few banked-in free throws to thank.
Next was a layup relay race, where we had to dribble from one end of the court to the next, score a layup, and then race to the other side and repeat the same shot. The first team to finish wins (gym class style). The Green Team too the W, leading up to what would be a competitive final round.
We finished the day with a game of 5-on-5. A good amount of ball movement and some fast break steals, had the Green Team once again finishing on top. Three consecutive makes by Sophia, the sleeper MVP of the day, brought them to their final victory. “The trick is not letting them know you know how to play,” she cheekily stated after the fact.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Being part of the Green Team and participating in this experience was so much fun! Learning about the Philly Sisters and getting to meet the founders made the experience even more meaningful. A big thank you to our coaches, the organizers, and everyone who brought such great energy to the court.”
-Lauren, Buying Assistant
“Playing basketball was so fun! I didn't have much experience but our coaches were so nice and made it seem easy. By the end I felt like I had the basics down! The gym is such a nice facility and is a hidden gem in the city. I love that The Philly Sisters want to bring women's sports to Philly - it was so inspiring to hear about their journey and passion for the sport!” -Liz, Assistant Merchandiser
“Team sports are so uniting and such a good way to get active while having fun. Every part of the experience, from the facilities at the Sixth Man Center to the coaches to the insights from the Philly Sisters, was inspiring, collaborative, and so fun! Philly’s WNBA team can’t come soon enough!” -Claire, Assistant Copywriter
“BLUE TEAM 4L!!!! I had a great time playing. Basketball was my primary focus most of life until I started pursuing design. Fast forward to being a color designer at FP Movement and then coming back and playing alongside everyone, such a full circle moment.” -Tim, Design Assistant
“I really loved the chance to play with all my coworkers and friends, and bond in such an exciting environment! Sports truly bring people together in such a real way. Even though basketball was not my sport growing up, I grew a love for it during this experience. 10/10 would play again tomorrow if asked!! P.S. Go blue team!!” -Kaley, Sample Coordinator
“Playing basketball was so fun! I didn't have much experience but our coaches were so nice and made it seem easy. By the end I felt like I had the basics down! The gym is such a nice facility and is a hidden gem in the city. I love that The Philly Sisters want to bring women's sports to Philly - it was so inspiring to hear about their journey and passion for the sport!” -Liz, Assistant Merchandiser
“Team sports are so uniting and such a good way to get active while having fun. Every part of the experience, from the facilities at the Sixth Man Center to the coaches to the insights from the Philly Sisters, was inspiring, collaborative, and so fun! Philly’s WNBA team can’t come soon enough!” -Claire, Assistant Copywriter
“BLUE TEAM 4L!!!! I had a great time playing. Basketball was my primary focus most of life until I started pursuing design. Fast forward to being a color designer at FP Movement and then coming back and playing alongside everyone, such a full circle moment.” -Tim, Design Assistant
“I really loved the chance to play with all my coworkers and friends, and bond in such an exciting environment! Sports truly bring people together in such a real way. Even though basketball was not my sport growing up, I grew a love for it during this experience. 10/10 would play again tomorrow if asked!! P.S. Go blue team!!” -Kaley, Sample Coordinator
A CHAT WITH THE PHILADELPHIA SISTERS
Founded by Alex Niedbalski-Sykes, Wanda Sykes, Ashley Lunkenheimer, and Starla Crandall, the Philadelphia Sisters is working to bring professional women's sports to Philadelphia. With a WNBA franchise set to launch in 2030, the group focuses on establishing sustainable infrastructure and community growth for women's basketball in the city.
After our game, Alex and Ashley gave us a few moments of their time to chat about their organization, detail their mission, and answer a few questions about what’s next for women in sports.
“We live here,” said Alex, detailing why she and her wife, Wanda, wanted to create a stronghold for women’s basketball in Philadelphia, “and we were tired of going to other places all around the country to watch any type of women's sports. Especially basketball, as that's our number one passion.”
“For me, basketball is a really special sport,” Ashley said, detailing a childhood health condition that led to her finding refuge in the team sport later in life, “I wanted to play a social sport, so I tried basketball and I just loved it. Our team was terrible, but it was just so much fun. And hearing you guys laugh today was a reminder of just how much fun it can be.”
After our game, Alex and Ashley gave us a few moments of their time to chat about their organization, detail their mission, and answer a few questions about what’s next for women in sports.
“We live here,” said Alex, detailing why she and her wife, Wanda, wanted to create a stronghold for women’s basketball in Philadelphia, “and we were tired of going to other places all around the country to watch any type of women's sports. Especially basketball, as that's our number one passion.”
“For me, basketball is a really special sport,” Ashley said, detailing a childhood health condition that led to her finding refuge in the team sport later in life, “I wanted to play a social sport, so I tried basketball and I just loved it. Our team was terrible, but it was just so much fun. And hearing you guys laugh today was a reminder of just how much fun it can be.”
The pair went on to detail how this organization started from a place of uncertainty. Four moms at a dinner table decided to take on what seemed like an insurmountable task-to create a WNBA team where there hadn’t been one before. They knew that women’s sports were rising in popularity, but still had trouble getting investors interested and on board. As they pushed forward and gained momentum,Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 women’s basketball league based out of Miami, proved to be a major component for gauging the popularity that women’s basketball could have in this city.
“We got connected to Unrivaled in Miami and ended up having 42,000 tickets sold for the Philadelphia event, showing that there is a place for women’s sports here,” continued. “This is something people want to see.”
And this past June, they were proven right. On June 30, 2025, the WNBA announced that Philadelphia will have its own team with an inaugural season in 2030. Set to be based in South Philadelphia, this new addition is expected to bring the WNBA to 18 teams total.
Something people want to see, indeed.
“We got connected to Unrivaled in Miami and ended up having 42,000 tickets sold for the Philadelphia event, showing that there is a place for women’s sports here,” continued. “This is something people want to see.”
And this past June, they were proven right. On June 30, 2025, the WNBA announced that Philadelphia will have its own team with an inaugural season in 2030. Set to be based in South Philadelphia, this new addition is expected to bring the WNBA to 18 teams total.
Something people want to see, indeed.
A BASKETBALL Q&A
FP Movement: Philadelphia is such a sports city. Why do you think that women's sports were kind of excluded from that equation for so long and how will bringing in more women’s teams impact the city's sports identity?
Alex Sykes: The structural barriers are really incredible for women’s entry into sports generally. And in a city like Philadelphia, where we have such big sports, it becomes even harder. So what we've tapped into is that the desire was there. When Unrivaled sold 5,000 tickets in just 30 minutes of being on sale, with no traditional advertising, it was because everybody was waiting for this opportunity.
Ashley Lunkenheimer: We’ve proven that Philly is sitting there waiting and everybody's just saying, what's the next sport? We are a basketball town, and basketball is pretty a low barrier to entry, right? Every community has a net and a rec area or somewhere you can bring a ball. But there are a lot of sports with higher barriers to entry, so we want to make sure that every girl and boy has the opportunity to see and be part of that professional women's sports journey in their sport. Now the thinking is, how many more sports can we bring here? And truly, there's no minimum.
FPM: I love that your slogan is ‘Trust The Progress.’ How do you keep hope when pushing forward?
AS: The data is there. There are studies that say 94% of women in C suites played sports growing up, and then that half of them played at the college level. That’s hope right there, and we’ve got to keep those numbers growing.
AL: Sadly a lot of girls drop out when they reach a sensitive age. But if you can keep the girls out there, it's proven to be correlated with success later in life–success in the boardrooms and the other places where women are underrepresented. So we believe that the more girls playing, and the more boys who support those girls playing, the more strength we’ll have across all communities. So we're just going to overwhelm it. We're just going to keep going. That's the way.
FPM: Storm the boards, as they say, right?
AL: Yeah. There you go! Yes, it’s all about people supporting girls and women every step of the way.
FPM: Love it! Are you scaling into other cities as well?
AL: So our group here is called the Philadelphia Sisters, but we have the Sisters Sports Group that helps cities build professional women’s sports networks. The goal is to help others to do it themselves.
FPM: What is your one piece of advice to those trying to scale? And what advice would you give to young girls in sports?
AS: I would say don't be afraid of raising awareness around what you want to do and just go for it. Talk to everybody. You’ve got to be brave and remember that just because no one's ever done it before doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
AL: I mean, we were literally 4 moms sitting around having a glass of wine who decided to do something. And it turned out to be incredible, right? As for little girls, I would say, don't drop out. The lessons you learn in teamwork and collaboration, leadership, and confidence-all those things are things that I feel like I carry every single day.
Alex Sykes: The structural barriers are really incredible for women’s entry into sports generally. And in a city like Philadelphia, where we have such big sports, it becomes even harder. So what we've tapped into is that the desire was there. When Unrivaled sold 5,000 tickets in just 30 minutes of being on sale, with no traditional advertising, it was because everybody was waiting for this opportunity.
Ashley Lunkenheimer: We’ve proven that Philly is sitting there waiting and everybody's just saying, what's the next sport? We are a basketball town, and basketball is pretty a low barrier to entry, right? Every community has a net and a rec area or somewhere you can bring a ball. But there are a lot of sports with higher barriers to entry, so we want to make sure that every girl and boy has the opportunity to see and be part of that professional women's sports journey in their sport. Now the thinking is, how many more sports can we bring here? And truly, there's no minimum.
FPM: I love that your slogan is ‘Trust The Progress.’ How do you keep hope when pushing forward?
AS: The data is there. There are studies that say 94% of women in C suites played sports growing up, and then that half of them played at the college level. That’s hope right there, and we’ve got to keep those numbers growing.
AL: Sadly a lot of girls drop out when they reach a sensitive age. But if you can keep the girls out there, it's proven to be correlated with success later in life–success in the boardrooms and the other places where women are underrepresented. So we believe that the more girls playing, and the more boys who support those girls playing, the more strength we’ll have across all communities. So we're just going to overwhelm it. We're just going to keep going. That's the way.
FPM: Storm the boards, as they say, right?
AL: Yeah. There you go! Yes, it’s all about people supporting girls and women every step of the way.
FPM: Love it! Are you scaling into other cities as well?
AL: So our group here is called the Philadelphia Sisters, but we have the Sisters Sports Group that helps cities build professional women’s sports networks. The goal is to help others to do it themselves.
FPM: What is your one piece of advice to those trying to scale? And what advice would you give to young girls in sports?
AS: I would say don't be afraid of raising awareness around what you want to do and just go for it. Talk to everybody. You’ve got to be brave and remember that just because no one's ever done it before doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
AL: I mean, we were literally 4 moms sitting around having a glass of wine who decided to do something. And it turned out to be incredible, right? As for little girls, I would say, don't drop out. The lessons you learn in teamwork and collaboration, leadership, and confidence-all those things are things that I feel like I carry every single day.
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