Kansas City wants to be the women's sports capital
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Kansas City wants to be known as the capital of women's sports.
Yes, but: So does Indianapolis. And Dallas. And Columbus. And Seattle.
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.
Context: Mayor Quinton Lucas called KC the "global capital of women's professional sports" in a Facebook post celebrating the night the U.S. women's rugby team shattered their attendance record while playing at CPKC Stadium.
State of play: Kansas City is home to one professional women's sports team, the KC Current. The team plays at the first and only stadium built solely for women's sports and recently became the first NWSL team to launch a second team.
- KC is also home to the nonprofit Women Leaders in Sports and the Women's Intersport Network for KC, and the city hosts several women's D1 collegiate championships each year.
- And as professional softball revs up, the city is positioned as a powerhouse.
Yes, but: Kansas City was snubbed for a WNBA expansion team, and plans for a Professional Volleyball Federation team fell through earlier this year.
Reality check: Indianapolis — home to the Fever and Indy Ignite — also plans to become the global epicenter of women's sports, which was announced during the inaugural Indiana Women's Summit hosted in August by the Indiana Sports Corp, Axios Indianapolis reported.
What they're saying: "I respect what's happening in other cities, but one good WNBA draft pick does not a women's sports capital make," Lucas tells Axios Kansas City. "Kansas City has been about it for some time."
- Patti Phillips, CEO at Women Leaders in Sports, says Kansas City "has a history of supporting women's sporting events, and women who work in sports." For years, she says, she has seen "firsthand how supportive the city is around women's sports."
Friction point: The increased attention still hasn't resulted in adequate pay for athletes. At the WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, players vented their frustration over ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
- Cities throwing their support behind the boom creates an environment where those fighting for equality on the court have a greater chance of success.
What we're watching: Lucas says he plans to invest in Municipal Auditorium, which used to house the Big 12 women's basketball championship, "to make sure that it can become a mecca in women's sports."
- "We have the ownership, the big money."