It was officially announced yesterday that the WNBA will establish its first expansion team outside of the United States in Toronto. Larry Tanenbaum and Kilmer Sports Ventures are investing $115 million in the team. The expansion team will primarily play at Toronto’s 8,700-seat Coca-Cola Coliseum at Exhibition Place, and for more popular games, they will move to the Scotiabank Arena.
— WNBA (@WNBA) May 23, 2024
The team will also play some games in Vancouver and Montreal. Currently, the team does not have a name, and the public will be involved in selecting a name that represents Toronto. While this expansion was planned, the official vote by the WNBA and NBA Board of Governors was required first. The WNBA board voted 14-0 in favor, and the NBA voted 29-1, with the New York Knicks being the only organization to vote against the expansion. The Knicks are currently in a legal dispute with the Raptors over alleged theft of proprietary information.
Following the official announcement, both parties expressed high spirits and admiration for the growth of sports and the WNBA.
“I’ve really admired what the NBA has done over a long period of time to globalize their game,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told the media. “Now other sports leagues are copying them, with their global games equivalent. That’s why this is so important to us to be outside of the United States, here in Toronto and in Canada, to start building that global brand. We know when we bring the product outside the U.S., they love it.”
The WNBA sold out preseason games at the Scotiabank Arena in 2023, demonstrating Toronto’s strong support for basketball. Larry Tanenbaum acknowledged the country’s progress in sports but noted that women’s sports have been lacking.
“The WNBA announced that it has expanded to Canada by awarding Toronto an expansion team, beginning play in the 2026 season as the W’s 14th franchise… playing its home games at historic Coca-Cola Coliseum at Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto.” – per #WNBA – @TheHardwood94 pic.twitter.com/IsWeZoqngd
— Nick Hamilton (@NickHamilton213) May 23, 2024
“The world is finally taking notice of something that’s been there all along,” Tanenbaum told the Associated Press. “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 W continues to expand. Check out the tweets below about the excitement surrounding an expansion team in Toronto.
Tonight the #CNTower will be lit fire orange in celebration of the establishment of Canada’s first WNBA team in Toronto. /Ce soir, la #TourCN sera également illuminée en orange feu pour célébrer la création de la première équipe WNBA du Canada à Toronto. 🏀 🧡 pic.twitter.com/JJa9H1a2iS
— CN Tower / Tour CN (@TourCNTower) May 23, 2024
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