LONG BEACH, California — Women's sports are seeing a massive surge in interest and investment, as numerous women's sports leagues are receiving comparable attention to men's sports.

Naturally, sports bars showcasing women's sports have grown exponentially in recent years. In 2025, there were only five bars in the United States that featured women's sports, including the WNBA, Unrivaled, and others. More than a year later, that number has ballooned to 27 and is set to exceed 30 in the coming months.

The following conversation has been edited for clarity and concision.

"And more and more people are now watching women's basketball. They're paying attention. They're looking at the sport in a different way. They've become fans, even though maybe they weren't before. So we've seen a major growth in that. But overall, we've seen a growth in just our base and being a young business, which we still are, it's hard to find that secret sauce and what's going to bring people out of the house, especially in this economy and everything that's going on around.

"How has it changed me? Boy, I've been through it. I have been definitely learning a lot along the way and appreciative of the people that have gotten behind us and the community that's growing. ... We're all about inclusivity, so we want everybody to know that we're here and they can come here, no matter what team they are."

"They just did this bus tour across the country, and they had eight stops, and we're the L.A. tour stop. We're their official partner for Season 3 ... It's very exciting for us and for them to come in here. ... I love that they chose us, and they understand what we are to the women's sports community and what we're building here at WatchMe!

"[Regarding how difficult the journey was] I was following someone. So I reached out to my predecessors [The Sports Bra, A Bar of Their Own] and became friends with them. ... Just reach out and find your angels around you to help you and support you because I have them show up for me all the time. And they're not on an island. They're all here to lift each other up. And we're doing something that is unprecedented as a women's sports bar movement, and it's tough."

"We could see the media rights changing. We could see venues changing to handle all of the tickets of all the people that actually physically want to be at those games. We know we're getting it right. People are just now starting to understand that and catch on.

"For us to be a little bit over two when people are really now understanding, oh, look at women's sports, that's perfect for us. I wanted us to get our footing before the Olympics, before L.A. 28 got here, and it's putting us exactly in that position to do so."

"Had there been, maybe my life would have taken a different direction, but I decided, 'OK, I'm not going to go to school for soccer when there's nowhere to go after that.' Now those opportunities are there. Now people can see their idols up on a screen in a sports bar.

"They can see that there's a place for them. And that's what it's all about, is being able to see it, then you can try to make those things happen for yourself. We didn't have that, but we just kind of hustled and pushed our way through in whatever we were doing, a sport or a career or whatever. And so it's fascinating to watch actually now, and it's awesome. It's a pretty exciting time."

"We're just trying to create community here and create a space where you can feel comfortable. You should be able to go out wherever you want to go and feel fine about it and not feel judged or scrutinized, whatever it may be. And the feedback I get is that we are creating that space that people want to come to and do feel comfortable.

"And that's incredibly important right now. And I think moving forward, it's going to continue to be important. So us being known as that type of inclusive space is great. That's another box that I get to check, because I can look around and I see everybody here. And that's the best thing."

"Creating something that people know that they can come to, whether it be about women's sports or not. We get a lot of people in here that say, 'I don't even like sports.' And then I see them cheering along with their neighbors at the other table or at the other end of the bar.

"So for me, it's just stay the course and don't listen to the noise. And just be you and continue to be your authentic self and carry on your mission. And that's how I operate."