The WNBA is going international.
The league is adding an expansion franchise in Toronto that will begin play in 2026, the league announced on Thursday. The Toronto team will become the WNBA's 14th franchise, as the Golden State Valkyries in San Francisco are set to join the league in 2025.
Kilmer Sports Venture, which is headed by Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum, paid $115 million to own the team. Tanenbaum is a minority chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the NHL's Maple Leafs and NBA's Raptors, among other teams.
“Our Toronto sports franchises are thriving but, we have been missing one critical piece — women’s professional sports,” Tanenbaum told the Associated Press. “The world is finally taking notice of something that’s been there all along — the immense talent, passion and competition in women’s sports. So, once again, I saw an opportunity and knew we were in the right place at the right time to bring Canada’s first WNBA team to Toronto. And now we have, making sports history.”
The Toronto team will play at Coca-Cola Coliseum. The 8,700-seat stadium is currently home to the AHL's Marlie's and PWHL's Toronto franchise. The team will also have the ability to play at the Maple Leafs' and Raptors' shared Scotiabank Arena on occasion. Tanenbaum and team president Teresa Resch said the team also plans to play some games in Vancouver and Montreal.
“Growing internationally, I’ve been trying to think through next steps on a global platform,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told the AP. “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.”
When did the WNBA last play in Canada?
Canada has already gotten a taste of the WNBA.
The country hosted a preseason game each of the last two years. A sold-out showcase between the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx was held at Scotiabank Arena in 2023 and a packed contest between the Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm took place at Rogers Place in Edmonton on May 4.
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What are the WNBA's future expansion plans?
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in April that the hope was for the league to expand to 16 teams by 2028.
Engelbert identified Philadelphia, Denver, Nashville, South Florida and Portland, Oregon, as possible destinations for WNBA franchises after San Francisco and Toronto. The Athletic reported that Charlotte is another city under consideration.
Where are the 12 WNBA teams located?
The following cities have WNBA franchises in them, as of 2024:
- Atlanta
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Indianapolis
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Minneapolis
- New York
- Phoenix
- Seattle
- Uncasville, Connecticut (home of the Connecticut Sun)
- Washington, D.C.
