Toronto’s newly-awarded WNBA team is taking a unique approach to building its identity by involving fans in the decision-making process. The team, which will begin playing in the 2026 season, has issued a “call for inspiration,” asking fans across Canada to help choose the team name, colors and overall identity.
“We don’t just want to be WNBA Toronto,” team president Teresa Resch told The Canadian Press, via The Associated Press. “We want to have a name and a logo and a colourway that means something to people, that people can have pride in. So we look forward to getting to that sooner rather than later.”
Fans are encouraged to submit their ideas through the website NameYourTeam.ca or by texting WNBA to a designated number, 1-833-662-3664. The submission period will run through Aug. 28, after which a group of designers and advisers will review the contributions to develop a shortlist of options. The final name and identity will be chosen by team and league leadership by the end of the year.
Recent expansions in other leagues, such as the NHL’s teams in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and Seattle, as well as the WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries, have all used similar methods to great effect.
“We don’t want to limit people,” Resch said. “Instead of just asking for a name, we want people to really share with us what this team is going to mean to them, what inspired them—any sort of inspiration that moves them.”
The new Toronto team, which will primarily play out of the 8,700-seat Coca-Cola Coliseum, is set to be the WNBA’s 14th franchise and the first outside the United States. The team is owned by Kilmer Sports Ventures, led by Larry Tanenbaum, who has expressed a strong commitment to showcasing women’s professional sports across Canada. Tanenbaum’s Kilmer Sports has invested $115 million to bring the WNBA north. To help grow the WNBA’s presence, the team will also play select home games in other Canadian cities.
WNBA’s expansion efforts and Toronto’s role
The WNBA’s expansion to Toronto marks a significant milestone in the league’s growth, The move comes as part of WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s broader strategy to expand the league’s global footprint and reach new audiences.
“Growing internationally, I’ve been trying to think through next steps on a global platform,” Engelbert said previously about the Toronto expansion. “It helps us reach new audiences and bring in new partners. The thing I love about going to another country is that the young girls and boys get to see professional basketball for women is important, too.”
The Toronto franchise will join the Valkyries, which are set to begin play in 2025, as the newest teams in the league. The WNBA has plans to grow to 16 teams by 2028, with cities like Philadelphia, Portland, Denver and Nashville being considered for future expansion.
The decision to expand to Toronto follows successful WNBA exhibition games in Canada over the past two seasons. A preseason game between the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx last year drew nearly 20,000 fans to Scotiabank Arena, while another in Edmonton between the Seattle Storm and Los Angeles Sparks attracted over 16,000 spectators.
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