A ‘seminal moment’: Sky defeat Lynx in first WNBA Canada Game in Toronto

TORONTO — In the inaugural WNBA Canada Game, the Chicago Sky defeated the Minnesota Lynx 82-74 on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena. Here’s what you need to know:

Sky guard Courtney Williams opened the scoring with the first WNBA field goal on Canadian soil. Dana Evans drained the first WNBA 3-pointer in Canada.
Kahleah Copper led the Sky with 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the floor. Tiffany Mitchell paced the Lynx with 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field.
Bridget Carleton was the lone Canadian playing in the game. The Lynx forward tallied three points, two rebounds and one assist.
The WNBA regular season begins May 19. The Lynx and Sky will square off at 8 p.m. ET.

The #WNBA has officially tipped off in Canada.

Minnesota Lynx vs. Chicago Sky.

You can watch the game on TSN and Sportsnet in Canada.

Enjoy, hoops fans. pic.twitter.com/5Tee5KfdY9

— Lukas Weese (@Weesesports) May 13, 2023

Backstory

On Jan. 18, the WNBA announced that the Lynx and Sky would play a preseason game in Toronto. Saturday’s contest marked the first WNBA game to be played in Canada. It’s only the third preseason game played outside the U.S., the first taking place in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2004, and the second in Manchester, England, in 2011.

The game in Canada comes as the WNBA is working to select the location and ownership group for an expansion team. The Athletic previously reported that Toronto is a potential city to which the WNBA could bring an expansion team. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told reporters in December that the WNBA is looking at 10 interested ownership groups. Engelbert has more recently said the league isn’t in a rush to finalize expansion. The Atlanta Dream were the last team added to the WNBA, in 2008.

When tickets went on sale for the WNBA Canada Game on March 8 (International Women’s Day), the game (with an availability of 19,800 seats) sold out. Among those in attendance Saturday was Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort and Serge Ibaka, an NBA champion with the Raptors.

Thunderous applause for former NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors Serge Ibaka, who is here watching the #WNBA Canada Game. pic.twitter.com/GBiQypJZ61

— Lukas Weese (@Weesesports) May 13, 2023

According to NBA Canada, the average regular-season viewership of WNBA games in Canada increased by more than 95 percent over the past three years. The WNBA’s social media channels set a record for engagement with 282 million video views, a 42 percent increase from 2021.

The WNBA Canada Game occurred at a pivotal time for Canadian women’s basketball. The Canadian women’s team is ranked No. 5 in the world. It has made the last three Olympic Games. Five Canadians are on 2023 WNBA training camp rosters, including Kia Nurse, No. 8 pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft Laeticia Amihere and the Lynx’s Natalie Achonwa, Carleton and Keishana Washington. All of these players have represented Canada on the international stage.

What Cathy Engelbert said

Engelbert called this a “seminal moment” for the league to launch its global platform in Toronto at a news conference Saturday prior to the game.

“There’s a huge demand for WNBA content and we see this as a first step, a major step, and hosting more global events like this in the future,” Engelbert said.

Engelbert reiterated that the league is looking at 10 interested ownership groups.

“Toronto scored very high on the list,” Engelbert said when looking at the data analysis on the feasibility of a WNBA expansion team.

When asked about evaluating ownership interest in a market, Engelbert said that the league will continue to talk with “ownership groups as to what the challenges are in their market, what the opportunities are, how they view a successful business platform.”

“I see the passion for sports here and women’s sports especially,” Engelbert said about the Toronto market.

When asked if there are barriers to having a WNBA franchise in Canada, Engelbert said there aren’t barriers to one city but rather the “same issues that face the current teams.”

“Do we have the right practice facility? Do we have a season ticket holder base? Will the owner be in it for the long term?” Engelbert said. “The challenge continues to be the underinvestment in women’s sports for both a corporate partnership and a media perspective.”

GO DEEPER

Deitsch: Toronto proved itself worthy of WNBA expansion in historic preseason game

Significance of this game

On the surface, it’s a WNBA preseason game. Speaking to players, coaches and organizers, it’s evident this game was more than that.

Mitchell said there was an “energy and excitement” leading up to the game. In Scotiabank Arena, the crowd was electric. Many fans wore orange WNBA merchandise. At halftime, all the WNBA merchandise for sale in the arena sold out. During the game, fans were loud. Some held up signs, including one that said “Toronto loves the WNBA.”

Shots of the crowd.

Lots of Orange @WNBA merch.

Love to see it. #WNBA| #WNBACanadaGame pic.twitter.com/eEsSWSmWZW

— Lukas Weese (@Weesesports) May 13, 2023

When I spoke with Achonwa prior to the game, she was most excited about young people seeing the high level of women’s basketball on the court.

There aren’t many Toronto sporting events that draw as many kids as this one did. So many young boys and girls witnessed this inaugural event in person.

The ramifications of this game won’t be known for a while. It’s unknown where the WNBA will expand. But if this was a trial run for the WNBA in Toronto, it passed the test.

What players, coaches said

Carleton won’t be forgetting the weekend in Canada anytime soon.

“The support was amazing. I felt the love. It’s not often I get to play in Canada,” she said.

Chicago Sky coach James Wade spoke about the vibe of the crowd at Scotiabank Arena.

“The energy was amazing,” Wade said. “When we came out, the seats were filled to the top and they were cheering already.”

Wade gave Toronto an “A-plus” for passing the test of having the WNBA in the city.

“You have something here in Toronto that’s special,” he said.

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve echoed Wade’s sentiments about the impact this game could have. She said the game “breathes life into training camp.”

“I think this is really pivotal,” Reeve said. “I think we’re going to look back at this and say this was really meaningful.”

Morgan Bertsch, who scored 12 points Saturday, said she hadn’t played in front of as many people as she did in Toronto.

“It was incredible,” Bertsch said. “A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Required reading

(Photo: John E. Sokolowski / USA Today)