ATLANTA — There is something exciting happening in and around women’s sports, and Atlanta is seeing that momentum firsthand.
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People watching women’s sports has tripled since 2020, and that growing excitement is translating into more fans wanting to do more than watch — they want to be part of the action.
At Jolene Jolene, a sports bar focused on women’s sports, game days are bringing a buzz.
“It’s always buzzing in here on game days,” Chelsea Fishman said.
That interest is also showing up in Atlanta’s growing professional sports scene.
Atlanta City FC, Atlanta’s first professional women’s soccer team, drew hundreds of fans who wrapped around the building for the team’s launch party this week.
Deandra Duggans with Atlanta City FC said the increased attention feels like a long-awaited moment for women’s sports.
“I think we’re having our finally moment, right? Everyone who has been on the women’s sports train is kind of like, finally everyone else is catching on,” Duggans said.
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The momentum is also reaching younger athletes.
The Hawks’ Lady Ballers Program, which focuses on girls youth basketball through clinics and camps, has doubled since 2023 and now includes girls from more than 200 ZIP codes.
At Top of the Key, Olympian and Naismith Hall of Famer Debbie Miller Palmore said more girls are looking toward sports as a future, while their families are also investing in those opportunities.
“I think parents investing more in the girls too long term as well, knowing that there’s a bigger future for them. So that helps,” Palmore said.
Palmore said the quality of the game has also improved, pointing to increased competition and skill levels.
The growth is creating a sense that women’s sports is no longer something happening on the sidelines. More fans are watching, more girls are participating and more people are seeing a future in the game.
Last night, fans packed into State Farm Arena as the Atlanta Dream took Game 2 of WNBA semifinals in overtime.
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