Toronto, Canada has been selected as the future location for the next franchise of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), according to reports from Canadian media outlets. Industry sources have indicated that the new team is scheduled to begin competing in 2026, with the objective of expanding the league to 16 teams by 2028.
This decision to extend the WNBA to Toronto will raise the total number of teams in the league to 14, marking the first instance of the league’s expansion beyond the United States. The initiative is being spearheaded by Kilmer Sports Venture, a company established by Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum, who is a minority owner and chairman of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment. An official announcement is anticipated on 23rd May.
Cathy Engelbert, the commissioner of the WNBA, has conveyed the league’s ambitions to augment its size by an additional three teams within the next four years. The recent inclusion of the San Francisco Bay Area as the 13th team, set to compete in the 2025 season, represents another significant stride toward this aim.
In consideration of the decision to situate the new franchise in Toronto, other cities such as Philadelphia, Portland, Denver, and Nashville were also deliberated as potential locations for the 14th team. Engelbert underscored the intricacy of the decision-making process, emphasizing the necessity for arenas, practice facilities, player accommodation, and enduring ownership groups.
The selection of Toronto as the forthcoming WNBA franchise location follows substantial growth in the popularity of basketball in the city, notably following the NBA championship victory of the Toronto Raptors in June 2019. Furthermore, women’s basketball has garnered increased attention in North America, in part due to the accomplishments of college player Caitlin Clark, who was drafted by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA earlier this year. The surge in interest in women’s basketball among fans was further exemplified by the notably higher ticket prices for the women’s championship this year, surpassing those of the men’s championship.
It is noteworthy that Canada has previously hosted WNBA games, with the most recent being a pre-season game between the Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm held in Edmonton, Alberta on 4th May. The newly established team in Toronto is expected to play at the 8,000-seat Coca-Cola Coliseum, which currently serves as the home arena for Toronto’s Professional Women’s Hockey League team.
The BBC has sought a comment from the WNBA on the reported expansion to Toronto. The addition of Toronto as the newest franchise in the WNBA presents a captivating opportunity for the league to expand its presence and reach a broader audience in North America, further cementing the escalating popularity of women’s basketball.