Toronto gets WNBA expansion franchise, first outside U.S.

On Thursday, the Canadian city of Toronto was awarded a WNBA expansion franchise that will begin in the 2026 season, marking the league’s first team outside the United States. The Women’s National Basketball Association’s 14th franchise will play home games at an 8,700-seat arena in downtown Toronto, with additional games possibly taking place at the home of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and other venues across Canada.

“Bringing a WNBA team to Toronto represents an important milestone for our league as we continue to expand both domestically and outside the United States,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a news release.

Just over a year ago, the WNBA held its first game in Canada—a sold-out exhibition attended by 19,923 fans at the Raptors’ home court. This pre-season game demonstrated a growing appetite for professional women’s basketball in Canada’s largest city and financial capital.

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The new franchise will be owned by Kilmer Sports Ventures, headed by Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum, who is also the chairman of the NBA Board of Governors and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the city’s NBA, NHL, and MLS teams.

“Today is a game-changing day not only for women’s basketball but also for sports in Canada,” Tanenbaum said in the WNBA release. “This franchise will be Canada’s team, and we are so excited to unite the country and inspire pride and passion in fans from coast to coast.”