(Toronto) Several media report that Toronto will have its Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team.
CBC first reported that the WNBA had awarded a team to the Kilmer Group. The deal would allow the new Toronto team to begin play in May 2026.
Larry Tanenbaum is president and CEO of Kilmer Group, as well as chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Raptors in the NBA and the Maple Leafs in the NHL. Tanenbaum also owns 25% of MLSE.
A WNBA spokesperson said the league had no update on possible expansion to Canada, or elsewhere.
“We continue to engage in productive conversations with interested ownership groups in a number of markets, but I have no news to share at this time,” the spokesperson said.
A spokeswoman for Kilmer Group told The Canadian Press she had no updates at this time.
Canada has hosted two sold-out WNBA games in the past two years.
In 2023, Scotiabank Arena was sold out for the Chicago Sky’s 82-74 victory over the Minnesota Lynx. On Saturday, the Los Angeles Sparks defeated the Seattle Storm 84-79 in a packed arena at the Rogers Center in Edmonton.