Toronto awarded WNBA expansion team to make debut in 2026 – reports

According to media reports, the WNBA is headed to Toronto.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the women’s professional basketball league has awarded a franchise to the Kilmer Group. The reported deal would see Toronto’s WNBA team play in May 2026.

The WNBA has not confirmed the report.

“We continue to have productive discussions with interested ownership groups in a number of markets and awarding expansion teams will require a vote of the WNBA and NBA Boards of Governors,” the league said.

Larry Tanenbaum is the chairman and CEO of the Kilmer Group and the chairman of the board of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, owner of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. He also owns 25% of MLSE through Kilmer’s assets.

Adding a team in Toronto would be the first outside the U.S. for the WNBA, which begins its 28th season next week.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said at the league’s draft last month that she hopes to expand to 16 teams by the 2028 season. Toronto was one of the cities she mentioned when talking about the expansion. Other cities Engelbert mentioned for possible expansion included Philadelphia, Portland, Denver and Nashville, as well as the South Florida region.

The new Toronto club would be the 14th team in the WNBA. An expansion franchise in Golden State will join the league in 2025.

The Toronto team will reportedly play at the 8,000-seat Coca-Cola Coliseum, home to the AHL’s Marlies and PWHL’s Toronto franchise.

Canada has hosted two sold-out WNBA preseason games in the last two years. Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena was able to see the Chicago Sky defeat the Minnesota Lynx 82-74 in 2023. Rogers Place in Edmonton was also filled as the Los Angeles Sparks defeated the Seattle Storm 84-79 on Saturday.

The league announced Thursday it would have charter flights starting this season, a move that would also help with its expansion into Canada.