Toronto 14. Location: WNBA expands to Canada

The WNBA women’s professional basketball league continues to expand and will have its first location in Canada in 2026. The WNBA announced Thursday that a 14th franchise will be established in Toronto. There have recently been media reports about the upcoming expansion.

The owner and operator is Kilmer Sports Ventures. The team will play its home games at the Coca-Cola Coliseum on Exhibition Place downtown. There will also be games at Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Raptors (NBA/Basketball) and Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL/Ice Hockey). “Bringing a WNBA team to Toronto represents an important milestone for our league as we continue to expand domestically and abroad in the United States,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

There are 12 teams playing in the WNBA this year, No. 13 being the Golden State Valkyries, which will complete its first season in 2025. Since its founding in 1996, there have only been American teams – and with the expansion into Canada, the WNBA is entering new territories. There are currently three Germans playing in the league. Satou Sabally (Dallas Wings) and her younger sister Niara Sabally and Leonie Fibich (both New York Liberty).