Toronto is home to the first international team in the NBA as the league expands
- Toronto awarded the WNBA's first franchise outside the US.
- Knicks were the only NBA team to vote against Toronto's WNBA expansion team.
- Despite Knicks' dissent, the Toronto team is set to begin play in 2026.
Toronto is getting a new women's basketball team in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team will take its time to choose a name by asking the public for suggestions. This is a big deal for women's sports in Canada. 30 years ago, Toronto had to name another new basketball team, the Toronto Raptors. Even though other names got more votes, the Raptors became very successful. The team won a championship in 2019 and inspired many Canadians to play basketball. The new women's team in Toronto will have its own identity and play in a different venue from the Raptors. The new team will be known as "Canada's team" and is expected to be well-received in Toronto and across the country. The New York Knicks were the only team against expanding the WNBA to Toronto. Larry Tanenbaum, the chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, is leading the expansion. The NBA's Toronto Raptors are also under MLSE. The Knicks and Raptors are in a legal battle over allegations of sharing information. The Knicks have opposed WNBA expansion before. Toronto has been awarded the WNBA's first franchise outside the US, starting in 2026. The team will play at the Coca-Cola Coliseum and sometimes at Scotiabank Arena. The team will also play games in Vancouver and Montreal. The WNBA Commissioner expects the league to have 16 teams by 2028. Exhibition games in Canada have shown strong support for women's basketball. The league is getting interest from many cities to expand further.