WNBA Expansion: 4 Major Developments From Toronto Team’s Official Announcement

Canada has been awarded the franchise it has been waiting for a long time, thanks to Larry Tanenbaum and Kilmer Sports Ventures, who are willing to pay $50 million to welcome the WNBA’s first franchise outside the United States. Now, Toronto’s first WNBA team is scheduled to begin playing in 2026.

“Growing internationally, I’ve been trying to think through the next steps on a global platform,” said WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert while announcing the WNBA’s next move. She added, “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 that professional basketball for women is important, too.” She unveiled the secret behind the WNBA’s impressive move.

As this official announcement was aired, it garnered the attention of millions. While most spectators were ecstatic for Toronto, others raised eyebrows anticipating major developments. So, here are the top four major developments about the team:

Where will Toronto’s first team play?

To welcome the WNBA’s 14th sports franchise, it will have its first game against the Golden State Valkyries. They are scheduled to play next year for their inaugural season. Interestingly, the team will be playing its home games at the 8,700-seat Coca-Cola Coliseum at Exhibition Place. But what about additional games?

For those, Scotiabank Arena and venues across Canada will be booked. Not only this, but the team will also build a new, state-of-the-art facility for practice “that will be dedicated to the team and community initiatives”. But what is the name of Canada’s first home team?

WNBA 14th franchise still unnamed

As the team will be Toronto’s first, it must have some out-of-the-box name. And that’s why there is no team name or colors determined yet for Toronto’s WNBA expansion franchise. However, the team is open to suggestions. On May 23, Teresa Resch said that the team would be taking suggestions from fans.

However, one thing is certain: “We want to keep Canada at the forefront, something that really represents Canada, to make sure it represents Canada…We also want to make sure that it represents women strongly, and we want to make sure it’s really, really cool,” shared Resch in a press conference. However, finding a team name is not the only issue.

A challenge to tackle: Roster

According to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, roster spots are another major issue. With 12 teams already playing, there are two more forthcoming teams in the following season: Valkyries in 2025 and the Toronto WNBA franchise in 2026. Engelbert added, “That [adding four teams] will add 48 roster spots in just a couple of years.”

Notably, the team is hoping for 48 spots by 2028 along with 4 new teams. Seems like all problems are sorted, right? But there’s a slight twist in this tale. Just like everything else, the WNBA franchise in Toronto has faced a lot of criticism. But how did the WNBA expansion get approved?

All’s well that ends well

To share this news among the spectators, ESPN took to its Twitter account and penned an update declaring the WNBA Board of Governors’ voting system. They wrote, “Only the New York Knicks voted against the expansion. Knicks are suing Raptors in a case over alleged ‘theft of proprietary information'”.

When the WNBA franchise expansion was voted on, it received a 13-0 vote from the WNBA Board of Governors, whereas the NBA’s Board of Governors voted 29-1. Interestingly, only one of the New York Knicks voted against it. And it was none other than James Dolan.