As the topic of WNBA expansion continues to be one that has women’s hoops fans talking, one writer for Canada’s SportsNet believes it is time for The W to look north of the border for its next landing spot.
Dave Zarum, the SportsNet writer, believes now would be the perfect time for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment to go the same route the Golden State Warriors are believed to be going in and pursue a WNBA franchise. MLSE is owned by Rogers Communications, which is the same entity that owns SportsNet.
Zarum managed to receive a statement from Dave Haggith, MLSE’s senior director of communications. Part of said statement read:
We continue to evaluate all opportunities within women’s professional sports, including the WNBA, to determine whether there could be a franchise in Toronto one day.
That statement can be seen as not a definite yes, but it is not a definite no either as Lisa Borders continues to scour the landscape for suitable expansion markets.
Even with conferences not meaning much anymore due to the league’s new playoff format, expansion to San Francisco and Toronto would continue to preserve balance between the conferences.
The story also includes quotes from Isiah Thomas as well as Raptors head coach Dwane Casey.
One hundred percent. Bring a WNBA team to Toronto.
–Isiah Thomas
The women’s game is huge, so why not have a WNBA team here? Getting a WNBA team would be huge for the city, for the country, and for the women who play basketball in Canada.
–Dwane Casey
If not a WNBA team, the piece believes a WNBA equivalent should be created for Canada. It cited a statistic that more Canadian girls in their preteen and teen years are playing basketball than hockey. It also mentioned the litany of talent that has come out of Canada such as Natalie Achonwa and Kayla Alexander.
Another notable Canadian player is Kia Nurse, who currently plays for UConn and also played for the Canadian national team.
There’s no compelling argument against establishing a league, or a WNBA franchise, here in Canada.
–Dave Zarum
By: Akiem Bailum (@AkiemBailum on Twitter, Instagram)
