It’s about 1 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon at Title 9 Sports Grill in Phoenix and the restaurant is bustling. Some are here to enjoy a WNBA game — the New York Liberty versus the Atlanta Dream. On the other side of the bar, patrons are watching Canada take on Guatemala in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Co-owner Audrey Corley is busy selling people merch and making sure her customers are happy, but she makes time for a quick interview.
“What you’re gonna find here is women’s sports — all women’s sports and some male sports as well, but mostly women’s sports and anything that supports that.”
The restaurant’s name, Title 9, comes from a law that significantly expanded athletic opportunities for women and girls in the U.S. by prohibiting sex discrimination in educational programs, including sports, that receive federal funding. It led to an increase in the number of female athletes participating in organized sports.
“You know, I think it’s super important to have visibility in women’s sports and a place where people can come and support ‘em," Corley said. "It’s on the rise right now, but women’s sports have always played an active role in my life.”
By creating a space like this, Corley hopes to foster greater awareness and appreciation for women's athletic achievements.
“If you look at most women leaders and all that, 80% of them have played sports or some kind of team sport," Corley said. "It teaches you and instills the pride and confidence that you need to do this thing called life, basically, you know to be great at it and to be a part of a team.”
She knows just how powerful that experience can be, because she played and coached basketball at the collegiate level. That’s why she wanted her business to be a place where female athletes are respected the way men are in so many other venues.
“And sometimes there’s a sense of male toxicity in a lot of those bars, but here you’re gonna find just a cool environment where everybody’s welcome," Corley said. "Everybody’s here to celebrate women in sports and be a community.”
That sense of celebration is everywhere you look. The entryway is plastered with medals and trophies.
"We put out a call on social media asking folks to donate any athletic awards they were willing to part with — and the response was incredible," Corley said. "People showed up with medals from marathons, old trophies from high school championships, and more. It’s all about honoring their stories, and now their legacies are part of ours."
Behind the bar, you’ll find a giant pink neon sign with the words “Play Like a Girl!”
“Our drinks are all themed around famous athletes — former and current athletes," Corley said.
Drinks like the Taurasi GOAT-tail, named after Diana Taurasi, who spent her entire career with the Phoenix Mercury, and the Billie Jean Spritz named after Billie Jean King, a former world number one tennis player. The real Billie Jean King even follows the bar on Instagram.
But Corley’s belief in the power of women and her dedication to supporting them doesn’t stop at the restaurant door. After her interview, she dashed to the Phoenix Mercury game where she received the team’s Believe in Women award. It recognizes outstanding women in sports, business, philanthropy and public service who are making a positive impact in their communities.
Cassie Sawyer coached Corley when she played basketball for Phoenix College and now comes to eat at Title 9.
“[Corley] builds a culture of loyalty and teamwork," Sawyer said. "She works extremely hard and I think that has led her to where she is now.”
Sawyer's wife, Lara Andren, said Corley recently handed out water at a No Kings protest in Phoenix.
“Which I thought was great, giving back to the community," Andren said. "Huge truck, lots of water, making sure everybody’s hydrated.”
But for Andren personally, she appreciates that Corley has created a new safe space for the LGBTQ+ community.
“I feel comfortable here, I feel like everybody’s welcome, regardless of their race or their sexuality or their gender, age, it’s just a very comfortable place to come," Andren said.
As a former soccer player, she’s happy to see women’s sports take center stage.
“What we’ve realized, especially with the WNBA is that it’s not necessarily that women aren’t stronger, women aren’t better athletes or worse athletes, it’s that they’re not putting the marketing dollars into women’s sports and that really has been the difference," Andren said.
While the popularity and visibility of women’s sports has increased over the years, there are still a lot of disparities. The NBA’s revenue is 52 times that of the WNBA and players don’t make nearly the same amount of money: The lowest earner in the NBA earns 4.6 times more than the highest earner in the WNBA.
That’s part of the reason why the people at Title 9 say it’s so important to have a place where female athletes can feel seen and valued.
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