The WNBA is going international with Toronto expansion in 2026
As the league continues to expand, another location has been tabbed for a WNBA team
The WNBA is entering an extremely profitable and fun time for the league. A growing, passionate fanbase and the inclusion of new star players such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese means the growth of the sport is only going to skyrocket from here. With all of these good things happening in the WNBA, the league is expanding and heading up north.
Per Ben Steiner, the WNBA is expanding into Toronto. Led by chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Larry Tanenbaum, the Kilmer Sports group is leading the charge of getting Toronto a new WNBA team. According to Steiner, the new team would begin in 2026, and Coca-Cola Coliseum would be the arena.
BREAKING: Toronto is getting a WNBA team.
— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) May 10, 2024
It would start in 2026, as Kilmer Sports Inc., headed by Larry Tanenbaum, has been granted an expansion franchise.
Coca-Cola Coliseum the reported home arena.
Per @_shireenahmed_ w/ @cbcsportshttps://t.co/hVHK1esu4U
This isn’t the first time that the league has come up north. In 2023, the WNBA had an exhibition game in 2023 between the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx, and the game sold out the Scotiabank Arena. This preseason, the Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm will play in Rogers Place.
With this new team being announced, this brings the WNBA to 14 teams, including the expansion team in the Bay Area. According to the WNBA website, the new Bay Area team will play at the Chase Center beginning in 2025, one year before the Toronto team. Neither team has a name yet, but that’ll be released in due time.
This is a momentous time for the WNBA, and with more teams entering the fold, everyone in the sport continues to grow.