The WNBA is coming to Toronto.
Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum and the Kilmer Sports Inc. have reportedly been granted an expansion franchise with the Women’s National Basketball Association, according to CBC’s Shireen Ahmed. The new team is set to begin play in 2026.
The WNBA recently expanded to 13 teams with San Francisco-based Golden State set to begin play next year. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in April Toronto was among the cities being considered as the 14th team.
The team will reportedly play at Coca-Cola Coliseum, which holds 8,000-seats. The Toronto Marlies and Toronto’s Professional Women’s Hockey League franchise plays there.
A year ago the Minnesota Lynx and the Chicago Sky played a preseason game in Toronto that sold out Scotiabank Arena. Earlier this month, more than 16,000 tickets were sold for the Seattle Storm vs. the Los Angeles Sparks in Edmonton’s Rogers Place.
Toronto had previously been mentioned as a potential landing spot for an expansion team. However, nothing materialized when Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment could not agree to a deal, per the Toronto Star.
Once that fell through, Tanenbaum elected to pursue a team without Bell and Rogers and instead through his own company Kilmer Sports Inc.
Tanenbaum remains a part owner and chairman of MLSE, which owns the Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Argos, Toronto F.C., and the Marlies.
Raptors All-Star Scottie Barnes took to Instagram after the news dropped of Toronto getting a WNBA team. He posted an Instagram story saying “Let’s goooo!”
This is exciting news for Canadian basketball fans everywhere. Toronto is a major market and it will be great to see the women’s game highlighted north of the border.
Darko Rajakovic makes generous donation to children’s hospitals
Rajakovic and his wife Gaga announced that they are donating $46,700 USD to various children’s hospitals. These hospitals include the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis and to the University Children’s Hospital in Belgrade, Serbia.
Rajakovic made a commitment to donate $20 USD for every assist the Raptors recorded this past season. The team finished with a franchise-record 2,335 assists.
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