The WNBA is coming back to Canada, just maybe not in the way people had expected.
The women's basketball league announced on Thursday that it will hold a pre-season game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Seattle Storm at Edmonton's Rogers Place on May 5. The news comes three days after media reports that Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment chairman Larry Tanenbaum is pursuing a WNBA franchise in Toronto.
It's the second year in a row a Canadian city has hosted a WNBA pre-season game after Toronto's Scotiabank Arena held one in 2023.
"We were thrilled with the way Canada and Toronto, Toronto specifically, but I would say how the country responded to having our first-ever game there," said WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a video conference. "Globalizing the game is an important part of our strategy and given that Canada is our neighbour to the north here in the U.S., I think the success of that game was amazing.
"I get chills still thinking of that vibe last year, so from an expansion perspective, what we're looking for in any city or market we're talking to is a committed ownership group with a great arena situation, practice facility, and player experience."
The Chicago Sky beat the Minnesota Lynx 82-74 before a sold-out crowd of 19,800 at Scotiabank Arena on May 13 in the inaugural WNBA Canada Game.
The contest in Edmonton will be the fourth WNBA pre-season game held outside the United States, with Manchester, England (2011) and Monterrey, Mexico (2004) previously hosting.
The four-time WNBA champion Storm currently boasts 2023 league scoring leader and All-Star Game MVP Jewell Loyd. The Sparks, meanwhile, feature Canadian national team star Kia Nurse, whose brother Darnell plays defence for the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place.
Engelbert said that Edmonton was a logical choice to host the second WNBA Canada Game because of the city's rich sporting history, with the NHL's Oilers and CFL's Elks having passionate support, and the historical success of the Edmonton Grads, an amateur women's basketball team that maintained an astonishing 95 per cent winning percentage from 1915 to 1940.
She also pointed to the success of an NBA exhibition game between the Toronto Raptors and Utah Jazz in 2022 as an indicator of how successful a pro basketball game in Edmonton could be.
"They sold out in eight minutes at Rogers Place," said Engelbert. "I think the venue proved to be fantastic and the fan base continues to grow there.
"We'll continue to look at other cities as well, but certainly was I impressed with everything Edmonton has to offer."
Tanenbaum is reportedly in pursuit of a WNBA team through his holding company Kilmer Group.
Kilmer Sports Venture appointed longtime European soccer executive Ivan Gazidis to lead the new organization on Tuesday. The venture will look for sports and entertainment opportunities around the world. Gazidis has served as CEO for both AC Milan and Arsenal and was one of the founders of Major League Soccer.
Media reports say that Teresa Resch, the former Raptors vice-president of basketball operations and player development, will be a part of the initiative.
The Golden State Warriors were awarded a WNBA franchise for 2025 back in October, the first expansion team since 2008 and the 13th team in the league. Engelbert clarified in her video conference that the new San Francisco-area team will be the only addition to the WNBA in 2025 and that earliest a team could be awarded to Toronto — or anywhere — is in 2026.
"No specific timeline, because as soon as I give a timeline and things obviously change, it becomes kind of yesterday's news," said Engelbert. "I've always said I think about 18 months out is when you need to essentially finalize things because you have to start working on a brand, Nike has to start to produce uniforms, things like that."
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 6, 2024.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
