WNBA News: Toronto to Get 1st WNBA Franchise Outside the United States in 2026

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics
By Christian Alamodin | Last updated 5/24/24

The WNBA has been one of the leagues that’s been gaining a lot of steam in recent years. The influx of outstanding young talent in recent years has created intriguing narratives that don’t lose out to the NBA in terms of generating fan interest.

However, there’s one clear thing that’s stopping the league from reaching the heights the NBA is enjoying right now, which is the lack of teams.

The NBA currently has 30 franchises in its league, and these teams cover most of the United States with its fandoms. From California to Florida, there are teams every American can support.

You cannot say the same thing with its female counterpart. They only have 12 teams competing in the league, which makes the league less visible to casual sports fans than other leagues with more than 20 teams competing every season.

However, things are looking up for the league as they’re looking to add another big market to boost the league’s marketability.

WNBA to add a team in Toronto in 2026

Expansion has always been on the mind of the WNBA, as it will bring more eyes into the league. The question always was which city would be getting a franchise.

While there are multiple cities that could use a franchise for the top women’s basketball league in the country, it was a no-brainer for the league to give Toronto its very own franchise.

ABC News wrote about the development and the city’s reaction to the expansion, which is set to officially join the league in 2026:

Larry Tanenbaum-led Kilmer Sports Ventures is paying $50 million for the team. Tanenbaum also is the chairman and a minority owner of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the Toronto sports giant that owns the NHL’s Maple Leafs and NBA’s Raptors along with Toronto’s MLS and Canadian Football League franchises.

“Growing internationally, I’ve been trying to think through next steps on a global platform,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told The Associated Press ahead of the official announcement Thursday morning. “It helps us reach new audiences and bring in new partners. The thing I love about going to another country is that the young girls and boys get to see professional basketball for women is important too.”

Toronto has been a great basketball city and are very much in love with the sport. There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that they will welcome the league’s arrival as much as they did the other sports teams they are supporting.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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