Toronto Officially Awarded WNBA Expansion Team

The WNBA has officially awarded Toronto an expansion organization set to begin operations in 2026.

May 13, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; A general view of Scotiabank Arena during the anthem before the first ever WNBA game in Canada between Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports / John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

The WNBA is officially coming to Toronto.

The league made the official announcement Thursday morning, awarding Toronto an expansion team set to begin play in 2026.

Larry Tanenbaum led the initiative to bring the expansion team to Toronto after efforts by Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment to purchase a team died last summer. Tanenbaum's Kilmer Sports Ventures is reportedly paying $50 million for the team, according to the Associated Press.

“Growing internationally, I’ve been trying to think through next steps on a global platform,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told The Associated Press ahead of the official announcement Thursday morning. “It helps us reach new audiences and bring in new partners. The thing I love about going to another country is that the young girls and boys get to see professional basketball for women is important, too.”

Former Toronto Raptors executive Teresa Resch is set to be named the new team's president, per Rachel Brady of the Globe and Mail. Resch previously worked as the VP of basketball operations and player development for the Raptors before stepping down this past season to join Tanenbaum's WNBA venture.

"Our Toronto sports franchises are thriving, but we have been missing one critical piece -- women's professional sports," Tanenbaum told the AP. "The world is finally taking notice of something that's been there all along -- the immense talent, passion and competition in women's sports. So once again, I saw an opportunity and knew we were in the right place at the right time to bring Canada's first WNBA team to Toronto. And now we have, making sports history."

Tanenbaum remains a minority owner in MLSE, the organization that owns the Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Argos, Toronto F.C., and Toronto Marlies.

The new WNBA will be the league's 14th team and is set to play games at Coca Cola Coliseum.