WNBA Toronto!

[cupcakesnake]

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Northern expansion is officially on the way according to multiple sports. The team will be owned by Kilmer Sport inc (which involved Larry Tanenbaum).

Toronto was apparently at the front of the line but the league pivoted to San Francisco when Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment refused to let the WNBA team play the Scotiabank center.

I went to the exhibition game last year at Scotiabank and it was completely sold out and had the best vibes I've ever felt in a stadium (aside from the time I saw Toronto eliminate Milwaukee to go to the finals, maybe).

Anyways this is huge news and expansion is much needed for the W.

[zike_42]

This is such amazing news! It'll be really interesting to see what they call the team. I'm guessing SF next season and TOR the season after that?

[G R E Y]

Strong market based on previous exhibition games and events. Maybe there was also a novelty aspect to it but it is also a market in which there has been grassroots and upward organizing in girls basketball from elementary to post secondary for decades.

For there to now be professional levels beyond these will help grow the women's game here. It'll be interesting to see when we will get the first homegrown talent from this new additional pipeline.

[cupcakesnake]

This is such amazing news! It'll be really interesting to see what they call the team. I'm guessing SF next season and TOR the season after that?

Exactly, Toronto in 2026.

[cupcakesnake]

Strong market based on previous exhibition games and events. Maybe there was also a novelty aspect to it but it is also a market in which there has been grassroots and upward organizing in girls basketball from elementary to post secondary for decades.

For there to now be professional levels beyond these will help grow the women's game here. It'll be interesting to see when we will get the first homegrown talent from this new additional pipeline.

They're in an arena called the Coca-Cola coliseum, which is a little under 10,000 capacity (8100 for hockey so a bit more for basketball). They should be able to sell that out and get create a solid raucous vibe as they grow the team. The popular W teams (Las Vegas, Phoenix, Seattle) right now draw about 9000. New York playoff games we like 12-17k.

WNBA wanted Scotiabank center so interested that they settled and still agreed to the expansion. No news so far on the price tag.

[MrDollarBills]

12 new roster spots for the league and Toronto will probably show out to support the team.

I see this as an absolute win for the sport

[IlikeSHAIguys]

is there a reason there wasn't a canadian team before?

[SpezNc]

is there a reason there wasn't a canadian team before?

I’ve read that at the beginning of WNBA, there was a possibility but they preferred to concentrate the effort on righting the Raptors boat .

Then I think the idea resurfaced when Raptors won the championship but COVID hit

Then the pre season sellout put Toronto back in the Map but MLSE’s part owner Ed Rogers wanted to be contrarian and push back

Then finally with right ownership with Larry T, WNBA is coming .

[zike_42]

It's been officially announced: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/may/23/toronto-confirmed-as-first-wnba-franchise-outside-the-united-states

Interesting to see that the team will play in Vancouver and Montreal. Does that mean it might be called the Canada [Team Name] instead of the Toronto [Team Name]? Either way, this is going to be huge for the league.

[cupcakesnake]

It's been officially announced: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/may/23/toronto-confirmed-as-first-wnba-franchise-outside-the-united-states

Interesting to see that the team will play in Vancouver and Montreal. Does that mean it might be called the Canada [Team Name] instead of the Toronto [Team Name]? Either way, this is going to be huge for the league.

I think they just mean they'll plan some exhibition games or special event games in Vancouver and Montreal. Probably part of the proposal is to grow the market in Canada. There's nothing reported in the agreement that says anything about arenas outside of Toronto, just a quote from the owner.