“Hosting a WNBA preseason game in Canada is an important step for the league’s global growth” said Cathy Engelbert, boss of the WNBA, in January. “We look forward to building on the momentum and excitement that the WNBA has generated in Canada through this historic game”.
For the first time in its history, the WNBA has moved to Canada. Indeed, the Minnesota Lynx and the Chicago Sky faced off on Saturday in a sold-out Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. When the box office opened last March, almost all seats (19,800) were sold out within minutes.
Such an attendance at a WNBA game is not common. To give an idea, the Seattle Storm, which had the best attendance in the league last season, averaged 10,631 spectators per game.
This is the third time in its history that the WNBA has gone abroad for a preseason meeting, after Mexico City (2004) and Manchester (2011).
“The energy was incredible. When we entered the floor, the seats were full and people were already clapping. I was blown away” said James Wadethe Sky coach. “I saw so many Maple Leafs jerseys, baseball jerseys and I thought the WNBA deserved that too”.
A franchise in Toronto?
The WNBA, which will be celebrating its 27th season, has been attracting a lot of interest in Canada recently, where average regular season viewership has increased by 95% over the past three years. In addition, sales of derivative products and engagement on social networks have also reached a new milestone.
Cathy Engelbert said the WNBA began studying about 100 cities across Canada and the United States over the past 18 months with a view to expanding the league. She added that Toronto did indeed perform very well and was on a “short list” of 10 shortlisted cities.
As a reminder, the last time a new franchise joined the WNBA was in 2008 with the Atlanta Dream. In addition, the boss of the WNBA clearly wants to add other franchises, potentially two, by the start of the 2025 season.
“Toronto is very high on the list” assured Cathy Engelbert. “We will continue to work on this throughout the season and hope to have something to announce later. As we embark on this transformation, and it is already well underway, I believe the time for expansion is ripe.”.
