These new WNBA watch parties bring a women’s sports community to life in Tucson

They fell in love with everything Tucson had to offer — the sunshine, the history, the community events — but especially the people.

As they further connected with Tucsonans, they couldn’t help but feel that something was missing.

A women’s sports community.

They’re looking to change that this summer with a series of WNBA watch parties at The Coalition Space, 311 E. Seventh St.

The first watch party kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Monday, when the Phoenix Mercury takes on the Minnesota Lynx. Tipoff is at 6 p.m.

The all-ages event is free, and all community members, including people who have never watched a WNBA game before, are welcome to attend.

If you can’t make the first event, there are a few more watch parties on the books this summer with watchalongs featuring other WNBA teams on July 18, Aug. 6 and Aug. 9. 

“I’m looking forward to building this community and seeing where we go,” McGinnis said. “It's one thing when you're wearing a T-shirt with your favorite sports team, and you pass somebody at the grocery store, but now we’ll be able to have this community where we can actually see these faces together. … 

“We are always looking to bridge gaps in the community. And so, if we can bridge some of those gaps and get people connected in particular with women's sports in this way, then we're happy to do that. We're happy to facilitate that any way we can.”

Powers and McGinnis have followed the WNBA closely for well over 15 years. The excitement of the game is something that draws them in year after year.

“It's got all the things you want,” McGinnis says. “It's got drama, it's got storylines, it's got dopamine and there's some aggression. It's like ‘Game of Thrones’ during the season. It's these titans going up against each other.”

The couple moved to Tucson from Seattle, where they passionately cheered on the Seattle Storm during the Sue Bird era. Once they moved to Tucson, they added the Phoenix Mercury to their women’s basketball fandom.

Now, they watch every single game, bought season tickets and became members of the X-Factor, the official fan base for the Mercury.

They’re hoping to bring some of the electric X-Factor energy back to Tucson, they said.

At Monday’s watch party, attendees can participate in a shootaround in The Coalition Space’s courtyard just before tipoff, and once the game gets going, there will be games and giveaways (and plenty of league gossip).

There will be concessions for sale, with proceeds going to The Coalition Space. Monetary donations are also accepted to help the space host more events and keep them free for the community.

Powers and McGinnis also plan to put up a board where attendees can write down questions about the game, players or the sport itself.

“Beginners or longtime fans, it's really an opportunity for people to ask questions, get to know the game, get to know the players,” Powers said.

“If you've been sitting at home watching these games by yourself, come out; if you've got 10 friends that you've been hosting your own watch parties in your own living room, come out,” McGinnis added. “This is a space where everybody is welcome, every age is welcome. If you need a friend, if you need a buddy, if you just want to come out and hang out and watch the game, this is the spot, this is the place to come.”

The duo have always envisioned hosting a WNBA watch party here, but couldn’t quite nail down the right spot in Tucson. 

Bar scenes weren’t the vibe they were going for, and they wanted the space to feel safe and welcoming for everyone.

After building a connection with the folks behind The Coalition Space, they knew it was the perfect inclusive place to host the watch parties and build a women’s sports community, Powers said.

“I want people to walk away knowing ‘I have community around this,’” Powers said. “But also people knowing that they can either return or explore and enjoy sports in this way for the first time, and you don't have to be an athlete, you don't have to know all of the rules, you could just be into this one thing. There's so much hard (stuff) in the world, so to be able to come together and cheer on people that are doing their very best, not to sound corny, but it’s inspiring for us to see people doing their very best, and then to be able to get excited about it, I think gives you a little hope.”

Over the years, Powers and McGinnis have become huge fans of multiple women’s and adaptive sports, often waking up in the middle of the night to catch women’s rugby games or showing up to support the University of Arizona’s wheelchair basketball team during their games.

They hope to expand their watch parties to other sports in the future.

The couple would also like to collab with even more community members, such as a dance team that could perform during halftime or an aspiring broadcaster who could call play-by-plays during the watch parties, for example.

They have other ideas in the works, too, but we won’t spoil all of the surprises this early in the game.

Because this is just the first quarter for Tucson’s newest women’s sports community.

“We saw it with the World Cup, these groups of people coming together for triumph, for greatness, for joy,” McGinnis says. “If we can build more community events that are focused on joy and excitement, then those are the moments that are going to build resilience when we are out in the community doing the work that we need to do, and so just to be able to provide a space that is light, that is joyful, that is positive, that is motivating, and just lets people know that they're not alone, that is ultimately the goal that we are striving for.”