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‘We definitely need a WNBA team here’: Fans celebrate Suns-Fever sellout at TD Garden
Fans traveled locally and across state lines to cheer on their respective teams, and expressed their desire for Boston to have its own WNBA team.
A sea of fans pushed through Canal Street toward TD Garden, their voices rising as they drew closer to the arena. Clad in shades of orange, navy, or yellow, they gripped hand-drawn posters, jerseys, and even a big-head cutout.
TD Garden was taken over by Connecticut Sun and Indiana Fever fans, who sold out the 19,156 person arena Tuesday night for the second year in a row, according to TD Garden.
Fans traveled locally and across state lines to cheer on their respective teams and send a clear message: Boston is ready for a WNBA team.
Lysdale Ford faced trouble getting to the game due to issues with the Blue Line, and was grateful to arrive at TD Garden just in time.
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Sporting a bejeweled Celtics top hat and a green blazer emblazoned with themed patches, Ford said he was thrilled to attend his first WNBA game, which he said had an “incredible” atmosphere.
“The City of Boston did a good job making the teams feel welcome,” he said, gesturing to the block party across from TD Garden hosted by the Connecticut Suns. “It would be great to have our own [team].”
Carol Kenton made the trip from Wilmington, Delaware to attend the game. She called it a “shame” that Boston doesn’t have a WNBA team.
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“I think they’re missing out,” Kenton said. “Philadelphia is getting one and I’m so happy.”
After the recent addition of the Boston Legacy Football Club, which will begin playing in the National Women’s Soccer League in 2026, the idea of a Boston WNBA seems tangible for some fans.
“We have every other professional women’s sports league, especially with the NWSL team coming back,” Julia McCann, a Connecticut Sun fan who traveled to Boston from New Hampshire, said. “I think Boston has such a vibrant community of fans, and we have this beautiful venue that would be so perfect to host.”
Even Governor Maura Healey, who attended Tuesday’s game, advocated for a Boston WNBA team.
Healey, who previously played professional basketball, declared July 15 to be “WNBA Day in Boston.”
“Massachusetts is the birthplace of basketball,” said Healey. “We are so proud to host our neighboring Connecticut Sun, along with the Indiana Fever, and wish them the very best in their game tonight. We’re ready for a WNBA team in Boston.”
It’s Game Time for the @ConnecticutSun and @IndianaFever 🏀
— Governor Maura Healey (@MassGovernor) July 16, 2025
Another sold out @WNBA game at @TDGarden. Boston is ready for a team. Let’s make it happen. pic.twitter.com/P4qE0kpFvC
Still, some fans are not convinced that a WNBA team is on the horizon.
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Dominic Tallow, a Fever fan who lives in Boston, said he is doubtful Boston will see a WNBA team soon, saying the Celtics being sold put a wrench in the timeline for creating and managing a new team.
“Hopefully it happens in a few years,” he said.
Other fans believe Boston should have a WNBA team not just because of demand from fans, but because players deserve the spotlight.
Norma Asprilla, who played basketball when she was younger, said the local games are “long overdue for female athletes” and wondered why it’s taken so long for the WNBA to expand.
Asprilla volunteered at a block party outside TD Garden hosted by the Connecticut Sun Tuesday evening, and said she was extremely excited to attend the game with her nieces.
“I think there’s a movement right now going on that’s putting more eyes on women’s sports in general,” McCann said. “But we’ve been here.”
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