Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said an announcement will be made soon regarding the establishment of a new Toronto-based franchise team in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBA). If a WNBA team is created in Toronto, it is expected to be the first Canadian team to participate.<\/p>\n
In an interview with a media outlet on the 10th (Friday), Mayor Chow responded to a related question by saying, “Please wait a little longer. I hope to be able to deliver good news.” These remarks are further heightening expectations for the creation of the WNBA’s Toronto team.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, reports continue to emerge that Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Chairman Larry Tannenbaum is pursuing a WNBA franchise team through a separate holding company, the Kilmer Group. When a news outlet contacted the Kilmer Group on Friday the 10th with a question, a spokesperson said there was no update at this time, but this could be interpreted as an indication that an announcement could be made soon.<\/p>\n
In 2023, the WNBA held a sold-out preseason game at Scotiabank Arena, and at the time, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert hinted at the possibility of Toronto hosting a team in the future. The WNBA said it is “continuing productive conversations with a group of interested owners in various markets, and any expansion team would require approval from the WNBA and NBA Board of Governors.” This means that the formal approval process for the Toronto team is underway.<\/p>\n
Toronto Raptors’ star player Scotty Barnes posted “Let’s goooo!” on his Instagram, referring to the possibility of the WNBA moving to Toronto, garnering a huge response among her fans. . Kayla Gray, TSN Sports Reporter, said, “This will no longer be considered ‘just a hobby’. This can be a true profession. This will be a great inspiration to the boys and girls who grew up watching athletes excel on the court. \u201cThere will be more Canadian teams,\u201d he said, emphasizing that attracting a new team will have a positive impact in terms of business as well as representation, and is expected to greatly contribute to the promotion of women\u2019s sports in Canada.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"