Toronto Raptors: Presenting Canada’s First WNBA Team

Our location: Vancouver

Surprise?! Were you expecting Toronto? Listen, not everything is about “Tdot.” While “The 6ix” is Canada’s largest city, an international centre of business and finance, and is consistently recognized as one of the greatest cities in the world, it already has too many sports teams.

Among Toronto’s major pro sports teams are the Raptors, Leafs, Blue Jays and Toronto FC. Then the secondary ones, the Argonauts, Wolfpack, and Rock. And we haven’t brought up the developmental teams yet, such as the Raptors 905, Marlies, and Toronto FC II.

Torontonians already have the Raptors and the 905 (kind of). Adding the WNBA to give them a third pro basketball franchise could work, especially given how the 905 is one of the best-selling G-League franchises.

But why not Vancouver?

There is a basketball fever spreading across Canada, not just Toronto. Vancouver is the next viable city to host a professional ball team even if the Grizzlies were a debacle.

That was some time ago. NHL teams have left cities in Canada only to come back. Same can be true with basketball, albeit through a different form.

There is a strong basketball grassroots culture in Vancouver and it was also voted as the best major city for women in Canada. There are also at least eight billionaires in Vancouver and a wealth of A-list companies who could foot the bill for this new team.

And unlike Toronto, Vancouver isn’t overloaded with professional sports franchises. Outside of the Canucks and Whitecaps, the new WNBA team could be the next most popular thing.