WNBA announces Toronto as the location for its 14th franchise

The GIST: The rumors are true — the WNBA is coming to Toronto in 2026. On Friday, CBC’s Shireen Ahmed broke the news, with an official announcement expected on May 23rd. Toronto’s selection marks a major turning point for W: international expansion. Player with a passport.

The details: After previously favored Portland fumbled their opportunity last November, the winning bid now belongs to Canadian billionaire Larry Tanenbaum, who launched a campaign for a WNBA team this March. While Toronto’s expansion fee is unknown, it’s expected to be similar to the record $50M fee Golden State paid, putting estimated startup costs around $100M.

The backstory: After the inaugural WNBA Canada Game in Toronto last year, MLSE was reportedly interested in bidding for a WNBA expansion franchise. But, the organization — which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs and Raptors — suddenly backed out of their bid due to internal divisiveness.

• This created space for Tanenbaum, who initially supported the MLSE bid, to launch a new Toronto bid under his holding group, the Kilmer Group.

The market: The 2023 WNBA Canada Game not only converted more Canadian sports fans to the WNBA, but it also proved the market for women’s hoops in Canada at large. This month’s WNBA Canada Game in Edmonton saw a 65% increase in viewership over last year.

• Canadian Tire AVP Ashley Curran told The GIST that a team in Toronto means a team all of Canada can root for, citing the MLB’s Blue Jays and NBA’s Raptors as examples.

• The Blue Jays reportedly boast the largest MLB fanbase, while the Raptors rank high in attendance and social media following.

Zooming out: This is just the beginning for the WNBA, which recently announced plans to expand to 16 teams by 2028. Tanenbaum was smart not to pass up on the opportunity: In 2023, the Seattle Storm had a league-high $151M valuation

• Canada has proven itself as a women’s sports market by fully embracing the PWHL, and based on all the metrics (and social media posts), Toronto’s WNBA team will be Canada’s team.