The competition to become the capital of women's sports

Why it matters: Surging viewership and engagement around women's sports have local leaders eager to capture the excitement and investment that comes with it.

• As developing leagues look for places to expand, these cities — and others — want to become synonymous with the explosion.

The big picture: Cities throwing their support behind the boom creates an environment where those fighting for equality on the court have a greater chance of success.

State of play: The Indy area is home to two professional women's sports teams — the Fever and the Indy Ignite, a professional volleyball team — making it far from the market with the highest concentration, but local sports leaders say the effort goes beyond the number of teams playing here.

• "When you think about what the ultimate goal is, it is to support women in sports," said Sarah Myer, chief of staff and strategy for Indiana Sports Corp. "It's to support access to women's sports. It's to support women excelling … so if all these cities are striving to do that, then we're actually achieving our goals."

Flashback: Indianapolis' plan to become the global epicenter of women's sports was first shared on stage last August during the inaugural Indiana Women's Summit hosted by the Indiana Sports Corp.

Zoom in: Myer pointed to last month's WNBA All-Star celebration as an example of the plan in action.

• A sold-out game, a citywide arts experience, philanthropic efforts, career programs and a music and comedy festival were among the event highlights.
• The Indiana Fever's planned $78 million practice facility and hosting the 2028 women's Final Four are other examples of the city's commitment.

Reality check: Indy isn't the only city making an effort.

• Kansas City is home to the first stadium in the world specifically for a women's professional sports team, where the Kansas City Current play. That arena shattered a women's rugby record this spring by packing in more than 10,000 fans.
• Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is also bullish on his city already holding the title, telling Axios Kansas City, "I respect what's happening in other cities — but one good WNBA draft pick does not a women's sports capital make."

Other interested markets: North Texas is growing into a women's sports hub with last summer's launch of the Dallas Trinity FC, making it one of eight teams to compete in the inaugural season of the Gainbridge Super League.

• In Columbus, Mayor Andrew Ginther announced his desire to make the Ohio city the nation's capital for women's sports during his 2025 State of the City address.
• Later that month, the title of women's sports capital was bestowed upon Seattle by Professional Women's Hockey League executive Amy Scheer as the city celebrated the arrival of its first PWHL franchise.

The other side: Joey Graziano, Pacers Sports & Entertainment's EVP of strategy and new business ventures, called the competition among cities "amazing" and believes in the ability of a rising tide to lift all boats.

Friction point: The increased attention still hasn't resulted in adequate pay for athletes. At the WNBA All-Star Game, players vented their frustration over ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations.

• Terri Jackson, executive director of the Women's National Basketball Players Association, thinks the battle between cities and fan bases can help.
• "Just keep talking about the game. Keep talking about the players … because these players are in a fight right now for an agreement that truly values them," she said. "It's a big moment for women's sports … if you love the game, just keep talking about it. Keep showing up."