Report: Larry Tanenbaum Pursing WNBA Team for Toronto
Toronto’s dream of a WNBA team may not be dead after all.
Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment chairman Larry Tanenbaum is reportedly pursuing an expansion WNBA team for Toronto, according to Shireen Ahmed of CBC Sports.
Tanenbaum is said to be looking into acquiring the team through his company the Kilmer Group after talks for an expansion team with MLSE fell apart this past summer.
Former Toronto Raptors executive Teresa Resch is expected to be involved in the new franchise following her departure from the Raptors last week, Ahmed wrote. Resch spent over a decade with the Raptors, joining the organization in 2013, and had previously worked in the NBA head office before leaving for Toronto.
Toronto’s previous discussions for a team were ended when Rogers Communications chairman Edward Rogers rejected the bid for a new team, the Toronto Star reported last November. Rogers is a 37.5% owner in MLSE and opposed the idea of WNBA expansion to Toronto.
The WNBA has been looking to expand and will add a new team in San Francisco in association with the Golden State Warriors in 2025.
Toronto had previously been on the shortlist of cities WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert said the league was looking to expand to before 2025.
Tanenbaum is said to be looking to have the team play at the Coca-Cola Coliseum where the Toronto Marlies currently play, Ahmed wrote.
