Toronto has been awarded an expansion team that is set to become the first international franchise in the WNBA, Canada’s CBC reported Friday.
The new franchise is slated to begin play in May 2026.
The growing league awarded the club to Kilmer Sports Inc., headed by Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum, part of the minority ownership of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment. That group owns the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, the Maple Leafs (NHL), Argonauts (CFL) and TFC (MLS) with Tanenbaum acting as the chairman.
Toronto is set to become the WNBA’s 14th franchise. Another expansion club — Golden State — enters the league in 2025.
A league ceremony to welcome the team is scheduled for May 23 in Toronto, per the report. The franchise will play at Coca-Cola Coliseum, which is the home to the Maple Leafs’ top affiliate, the Marlies, and has a capacity of 8,000.
–Field Level Media
