The WNBA is officially coming to Toronto, one of the more passionate communities for sports.
The WNBA has decided to make the Toronto-based team their 14th team within the league, with the announcement expected to be made on May 23rd. The last step for Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum to be awarded this team is the voting approval of the WNBA and NBA Board of Governors before it is official. With the 13th expansion team coming to Golden State next year, this will be the first time back-to-back expansion teams will be introduced to the league in a very long time.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert mentioned the WNBA’s goal of having 16 teams by 2028. They are moving in the correct direction, which would add 48 roster spots. That is about a 30% jump from where the league is.
Tanenbaum is a minority owner and chairman of the NHL and NBA Toronto-based teams, the Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors. Reports suggest that the team might play at the Coca-Cola Coliseum, which is currently home to the women’s hockey team, Toronto Marlies. The stadium has a seating capacity of 8,000 and is expected to attract passionate sports fans from Toronto. The league could not have chosen a better location for their team regarding support.
It is impressive to see the overwhelming support for women’s basketball, as evidenced by the sold-out preseason game between the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, with nearly 20,000 attendees. Similarly, last week’s match-up between Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm at Edmonton’s Rogers Place Stadium drew a crowd of 16,655 people. It is encouraging to see such strong support for women’s sports.
The W continues to grow and more teams means more revenue, which means players can be taken care of and get paid more potentially down the line. Support the women, and the sport will continue to grow.
