Toronto has been awarded a WNBA franchise that will start play in 2026, becoming the league’s first team outside of the United States. The team will be owned by Kilmer Sports Inc., headed by Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum, who is a minority owner and chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. The new Toronto club will be the 14th team in the WNBA, with an expansion franchise in Golden State set to join the league in 2025.
An official announcement is expected on May 23 in Toronto, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. While reports indicate that the team will play at the 8,000-seat Coca-Cola Coliseum, where the AHL’s Marlies and PWHL’s Toronto franchise currently play, there has been no official confirmation from the team or league spokespersons. The goal is for the league to reach 16 teams by 2028, with Toronto being among the cities considered for expansion.
Canada has shown its readiness to welcome women’s professional basketball, with a sold-out preseason game between the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx last year at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, which drew a crowd of 19,800. Similarly, a capacity crowd of 16,655 packed Edmonton’s Rogers Place for a preseason game between the Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm last week. This demonstrates the growing interest and support for women’s basketball in Canada.