The WNBA is officially coming to Canada, with an expansion team in Toronto set to begin play in 2026, the league announced Thursday. The news was initially reported by Shireen Ahmed of CBC Sports earlier this month.
Toronto will be the league’s 14th franchise, after the WNBA announced the Golden State Valkyries located in the Bay area as the 13th franchise, who will begin play in 2025, in October of last year.
According to the Associated Press, the Larry Tanenbaum-led Kilmer Sports Ventures is paying $50 million for the Toronto team. Tanenbaum is the chairman and a minority owner of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, and the Toronto sports giant also owns the NHL’s Maple Leafs, NBA’s Raptors, and Toronto’s MLS and Canadian Football League franchises.
“Women’s sports is good business,” Tanenbaum told the AP. “Just look around — it’s not a moment, but a movement and it’s just the beginning. The investment that we’ll put into the franchise will also be no different than the other franchises.”
The franchise will play at the Coca-Cola Coliseum at Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto, which holds 8,700 fans. The team will also have the opportunity to move up to the Scotiabank Arena on occasion as needed. According to the AP, Tanenbaum mentioned the team will also play some games in Vancouver and Montreal. He also said that the franchise will take its time with a team name and brand, hoping to “solicit public input.”
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced the expansion and addressed the media Thursday morning. She mentioned to the AP that WNBA exhibition games in Canada over the last two seasons showed the passion of the fans in the country for women’s basketball.
“Growing internationally, I’ve been trying to think through next steps on a global platform,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told the AP ahead of the official announcement Thursday morning. “It helps us reach new audiences and bring in new partners. The thing I love about going to another country is that the young girls and boys get to see professional basketball for women is important, too.”
According to the WNBA, the upcoming Toronto team has also committed to building a new, state-of-the-art practice facility especially for the team and community initiatives.
Fans who wish to buy season-tickets can do so by placing a deposit at WNBA.com/Toronto.
Ahead of the 2024 WNBA Draft, Commissioner Engelbert mentioned the league hopes to reach 16 teams by 2028, with Philadelphia, Portland, Denver and Nashville mentioned as possible cities.
Now that the W is officially expanding to Toronto, where are you hoping to see expansion next?
It’s official, Toronto is #UpNext 🇨🇦 Tune-in now to hear Commissioner Engelbert’s remarks live on WNBA App, X, YouTube or NBA TV. Tips off in 2026. pic.twitter.com/NjwjmetAiY
— WNBA (@WNBA) May 23, 2024
