The WNBAB次元官网网址檚 widely reported arrival in Toronto isnB次元官网网址檛 just a good thing for womenB次元官网网址檚 basketball in Canada, but for womenB次元官网网址檚 sports in general, says one expert.
Several media outlets reported on Friday that the womenB次元官网网址檚 professional basketball league had awarded a franchise to the Kilmer Group, which has a 25 per cent stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the owner of the NBAB次元官网网址檚 Toronto Raptors and NHLB次元官网网址檚 Toronto Maple Leafs, among other sports properties. The deal, first reported by the CBC, would have TorontoB次元官网网址檚 WNBA team start playing in May 2026.
Canadian Women and Sport CEO Allison Sandmeyer-Graves said that the arrival of a WNBA franchise in Toronto, the ongoing success of the Professional WomenB次元官网网址檚 Hockey League and the development of Project 8 B次元官网网址� a planned Division I professional womenB次元官网网址檚 soccer league B次元官网网址� could have implications for society beyond the world of sports.
B次元官网网址淲e see the continued growth and development of womenB次元官网网址檚 professional sport in this country as not only the potential for great commercial benefits for those who invest in it, but also for tremendous social impact in this country,B次元官网网址� said Sandmeyer-Graves. B次元官网网址淗aving the WNBA form a team here in Canada would be a very significant positive step toward unlocking all of that potential.B次元官网网址�
Canadian Women and Sport is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the presence of girls and women at all levels and in all areas of sport.The organization issued a report on April 22 that found that two in three Canadians between the ages of 13 and 65 consider themselves to be fans of womenB次元官网网址檚 sports.
Sandmeyer-Graves expects that by the time a Toronto WNBA team starts playing in 2026, the socio-economic realities of womenB次元官网网址檚 sport will have evolved.
B次元官网网址淲hen we did this research back in October we found that there were already 17 million Canadians who describe themselves as fans of womenB次元官网网址檚 sport. I expect that that number will continue to grow,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭he number of avid fans among them will continue to grow as theyB次元官网网址檙e given more and more opportunities to engage.
B次元官网网址淭hat and more Canadians will join the fandom, so I think that itB次元官网网址檚 tough to exactly predict what it will look like.B次元官网网址�
The WNBA did not confirm the media reports of a pending expansion into Canada but said in a statement it is continuing to explore adding teams.
B次元官网网址淲e continue to engage in productive conversations with interested ownership groups in a number of markets and the granting of any expansion teams requires a vote of the WNBA and NBA Board of Governors,B次元官网网址� the league said.
Larry Tanenbaum is the chairman and CEO of Kilmer Group and the chairman of the board for MLSE. He is a part owner of MLSE through KilmerB次元官网网址檚 holdings.
A spokeswoman for Kilmer Group told The Canadian Press that they have no updates at this time.
Mayor Olivia Chow said in a television interview on Friday that she was aware there was movement on Toronto getting a womenB次元官网网址檚 basketball team.
B次元官网网址淲ait for it. Hopefully, there will be something later on,B次元官网网址� said Chow in an interview with local news channel CP24. B次元官网网址淏asketball, itB次元官网网址檚 just great and having role models, itB次元官网网址檚 time.
B次元官网网址淗opefully, there will be good news soon and I canB次元官网网址檛 wait for that to happen.B次元官网网址�
Although media reports in early March maintained that Toronto would have a team for the 2025 season, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that expansion for that year had ended with a San Francisco-area team.
Engelbert said on March 7 that she was reluctant to give specific details on a potential Toronto franchise until it was locked in.
B次元官网网址淣o specific timeline, because as soon as I give a timeline and things obviously change, it becomes kind of yesterdayB次元官网网址檚 news,B次元官网网址� said Engelbert. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e always said I think about 18 months out is when you need to essentially finalize things because you have to start working on a brand, Nike has to start to produce uniforms, things like that.B次元官网网址�
Canada has hosted two sold-out WNBA pre-season games in the past two years. TorontoB次元官网网址檚 Scotiabank Arena was at capacity to see the Chicago Sky defeat the Minnesota Lynx 82-74 in 2023. EdmontonB次元官网网址檚 Rogers Place was also filled as the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Seattle Storm 84-79 on Saturday.
Sandmeyer-Graves said that NBA Canada managing director Leah MacNab deserved recognition for breathing life into the idea of a Toronto WNBA franchise.
B次元官网网址淪he really sold this possibility and this potential by hosting wildly successful back-to-back WNBA exhibition games over the last two years,B次元官网网址� said Sandmeyer-Graves. B次元官网网址淚 really donB次元官网网址檛 think weB次元官网网址檇 be having the same conversation if it werenB次元官网网址檛 for Leah and her team, really going for it and demonstrating the possibility here in Canada.B次元官网网址�
Canadian womenB次元官网网址檚 hockey star Sarah Nurse said the arrival of WNBA to Toronto is B次元官网网址渉uge.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e spoken about it a lot B次元官网网址� when they were here in Toronto, they were just in Edmonton, sold out that huge arena,B次元官网网址� said Nurse.
B次元官网网址淥bviously I have a vested interest in my cousin (Los Angeles Sparks guard Kia Nurse), she has done amazing things for Canada Basketball and to have a professional womenB次元官网网址檚 basketball team here in Toronto is gonna be incredible for the next generation of basketball players in general.
B次元官网网址淥bviously we have the Raptors and you see what thatB次元官网网址檚 done for basketball in Canada on the menB次元官网网址檚 side and I think this is gonna be just groundbreaking. And so, IB次元官网网址檓 very excited to have the women of the WNBA join us as professional womenB次元官网网址檚 sports here in Toronto.B次元官网网址�
The WNBA announced on Thursday that it would have charter flights starting this season, a move that would also help in expanding to Canada.
The Canadian Press
