Toronto is getting a new basketball team.
According to a CBC Sports report, the Ontario city will be the home of a new Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) expansion team.
It will be the first WNBA team in Canada.
Kilmer Sports Inc., headed by Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum, is the new owner, according to sources.
Tanenbaum is a minority owner and the chairman of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE).
MLSE owns the Maple Leafs, Raptors, Toronto FC, Argos and Marlies.
A source said the team would play at Coca-Cola Coliseum, an 8,000-seat arena in Toronto.
It is home to the Marlies AHL team and is where Toronto’s Professional Women’s Hockey League franchise is playing its first playoff series.
The team would start playing in May 2026.
The WNBA recently expanded to 13 teams.
The San Francisco-based Golden State will begin play next year.
Back in April, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Toronto was among the cities being considered for a 14th team.
An official announcement that Toronto is getting the new team is expected on May 23.
For now, both the Kilmer Group and the WNBA aren’t officially confirming the news.
The new WNBA team will play at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario. The Toronto PWHL team played its first playoff game against Minnesota at that arena on May 8. (Image credit: Chris Young/The Canadian Press)
In a statement, Courtney Glen, vice-president of public affairs and communications for the Kilmer Group, said the organization has “no update at this time.”
A WNBA spokesperson said, “We continue to engage in productive conversations with interested ownership groups in a number of markets but have no news to report at this time.”
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With files from Shireen Ahmed/CBC
