Toronto to be announced today as WNBA's latest expansion team
CBC
Kilmer Sports Inc., headed by billionaire Larry Tanenbaum, is expected to announce Toronto as the WNBA's latest expansion team today.
CBC Sports exclusively reported on May 10 that Toronto would be awarded an expansion franchise, set to begin play in May 2026.
Tanenbaum is a minority owner and chairman of sporting giant Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) which owns the Maple Leafs, Raptors, TFC, Argos and Marlies.
The 79-year-old originally pursued the expansion team through MLSE, but it was turned down by other members of the board.
"Our Toronto sports franchises are thriving but, we have been missing one critical piece — women's professional sports," Tanenbaum told the Associated Press. "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."
The WNBA recently expanded to 13 teams with San Francisco-based Golden State to begin play next year, and commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in April that Toronto was among the cities being considered as the 14th team.
"Growing internationally, I've been trying to think through next steps on a global platform," 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."
WATCH | How sports fans are reacting to potential Toronto WNBA expansion team:
A source told CBC Sports the team would play at Coca-Cola Coliseum, an 8,000-seat arena at Toronto's Exhibition Place which is home to the Marlies and where Toronto's Professional Women's Hockey League franchise played its first playoff series.
Kilmer Sports Inc. is a new arm of Tanenbaum's Kilmer Group, and it has hired former European soccer executive Ivan Gazidis to lead the new group. Teresa Resch is also part of the new organization after leaving her job with the Raptors as vice president of basketball operations.
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