Sky and Lynx will play in WNBA’s first preseason game in Canada

The game May 13 will be played at Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Raptors.

SHARE Sky and Lynx will play in WNBA’s first preseason game in Canada
Kahleah Copper is currently the only member of the Sky’s starting five under contract for the 2023 season.

Kahleah Copper is currently the only member of the Sky’s starting five under contract for the 2023 season.

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The Sky will play the Minnesota Lynx on May 13 at Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Raptors, in the WNBA’s third international preseason game and first in Canada, it was announced Wednesday.

“It is monumental to be a part of history when it comes to being the first WNBA team to play a game in Canada,” Sky coach/general manager James Wade said. “This WNBA introduction will be a key moment when it comes to high-level professional basketball expanding into Canada, and we are very excited to partake in growing the sport there.”

The Detroit Shock and San Antonio Silver Stars played in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2004, and the Atlanta Dream played the Standard Life Great Britain team in Manchester, England, in 2011.

The WNBA’s first preseason game in Canada originally was scheduled for 2020. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was supposed to make an announcement that March before the COVID-19 pandemic halted plans. The Sky and Lynx were being considered for the game.

Engelbert said other teams showed interest in playing this year, but the rivalry between the franchises, along with their proximity to Toronto and the Lynx being home to Canadian players Natalie Achonwa and Bridget Carleton, swung the decision. Carleton, however, is a restricted free agent, and Achonwa announced her pregnancy in November.

Kia Nurse is another Canadian star playing in the WNBA. As an unrestricted free agent, she could land with either team when players begin signing Feb. 1.

Toronto remains on the short list of potential expansion locations for the WNBA. Engelbert indicated that the league would announce an expansion team before the end of the year, with hopes of the new team being ready for the 2024 season. According to reports, the WNBA’s expansion team is not expected to begin play until 2025 at the earliest.

“We’re going to expand at the right time,” Engelbert said. “We looked at about 100 different cities, and I’ve talked about narrowing that. Toronto is certainly one of the names on the narrowed list. We’re having conversations with several potential ownership groups in many markets at this point.”

While Engelbert didn’t say where Toronto ranks on the list, she did say this game will help the league assess the WNBA’s popularity in Canada.

Globalizing the league was one of Engelbert’s pillars when she became commissioner in 2019. With the 2024 Olympics being held in Paris, Engelbert said she wants to see a swell of support for the women’s game as the U.S. women’s team goes for its eighth consecutive gold medal. She added that the league will look to host future events in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

“We have a lot of opportunity here as these cities and countries around the world are growing the women’s game, as well,” Engelbert said. “We’ll be looking to engage with [other countries] in the future.”

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