It’s been a newsy week for the WNBA.
First, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert broke the news that charter flights are finally coming to the league – at some point, anyway. Then, Angel Reese shined at the Met Gala and then stunted on the Liberty, recently retired star Candace Parker became a president at Adidas, and the Las Vegas Aces visited the White House. And of course, Caitlin Clark continued to do Caitlin Clark things in the preseason.
Then, on Friday morning, perhaps the biggest news of the week arrived.
According to multiple reports, the WNBA is adding what will be its 14th team in 2026 with an expansion franchise in Toronto, Canada. Per the Canadian Broadcast Corporation – which first broke the news – an official announcement is expected later this month.
Here’s what else we know about the expansion, so far:
- The team will be owned by Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum, a minority owner and chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the NHL’s Maple Leafs, the NBA’s Raptors, and Toronto FC of MLS. However, MLSE will not operate this team, according to the Toronto Star. Kilmer Sports Venture – another company owned by Tanenbaum – will. Tanenbaum is also the chairman of the NBA’s Board of Governors.
- Coca-Cola Coliseum is set to be the home of this WNBA franchise. It seats 8,000 people and is also the home of the Toronto Marlies, a minor league hockey affiliate of the Maple Leafs.
- The WNBA will add its 13th team next season when its expansion franchise in California’s Bay Area launches. Engelbert has said that they league aims to grow to 16 teams by 2028. Philadelphia, Portland, Denver and Nashville are among the other potential North American cities the WNBA has its eyes on, reportedly. The franchise tag fee for the Bay Area was $50 million, but it’s unclear if the price was the same for Toronto.
We’ll keep you posted as this unfolds further.
