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On Tuesday night, Aubrey Plaza made a rare public appearance at the Barclays Center, where she sat courtside to watch the New York Liberty defeat the Minnesota Lynx. The White Lotus star wasn’t decked out in Liberty or Lynx gear. Instead, she proudly rocked a shirt that sent Philadelphia sports fans into a frenzy, Inquirer reports.
Aubrey Plaza at the Lynx-Liberty WNBA game wearing a “Philly is a women's sports town” t-shirt pic.twitter.com/FVknSSsEud
— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) August 20, 2025
Plaza wore Watch Party PHL’s graphite gray tee that read “Philly is a Women’s Sports Town. Est. 2030.” The shirt, designed by firefighter and Watch Party PHL founder Jen Leary, nearly sold out within hours of Plaza being photographed in it.
“It was the coolest thing ever,” Leary said after spotting Plaza in the shirt. “I hoped it would blow up, but I’m pleasantly surprised it happened this fast.”
The shirt, which uses a basketball as the “O” in “Women’s,” was released after the announcement that Philadelphia would officially get its own WNBA team in 2030. For Philly fans still buzzing from that news, Plaza’s courtside fit felt like both a surprise shoutout and a sign of momentum for women’s sports.
Plaza’s Strength Through Grief
This moment of visibility comes during a deeply personal time for Plaza. Earlier this year, she lost her husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, who died by suicide at 47. Since then, she has mostly kept her grief private, with the exception of a heartfelt Instagram post days after his passing.
Recently, Plaza opened up in a vulnerable conversation with Amy Poehler on Poehler’s podcast Good Hang. Poehler gently asked how she was coping, calling it a “terrible, tragic year.” Plaza admitted that her beloved dog Frankie has stepped in as a form of comfort, almost like a therapy partner.
“Right in this very, very present moment, I feel happy to be with you,” Plaza told Poehler. “I think I’m OK, but it’s like a daily struggle.”
Her honesty resonated with fans, many of whom see Aubrey Plaza as both fiercely independent and refreshingly human. On Tuesday, her appearance at the Liberty-Lynx game doubled as a reminder that even while navigating profound loss, she remains connected to community, culture, and her Philly roots.
