The WNBA will hold pre-season games in Canada next year

Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that the WNBA will hold a pre-season exhibition game in Canada next year for the first time ever with hopes of continued global exposure for the league.

Engelbert revealed the league’s plans Sunday at a news conference before Game 1 of the 2022 WNBA Finals between the Connecticut Sun and Las Vegas Aces at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.

This will be the first time the WNBA has played an international game since 2011, when the Atlanta Dream faced the Standard Life UK women’s basketball team in Manchester.

The Detroit Shock and San Antonio Silver Stars previously played in Monterrey, Mexico, in a 2004 pre-season matchup – the first international matchup outside the United States in league history.

In June, Engelbert outlined plans to identify one or two cities for expansion, with Toronto on a short list along with a handful of others, according to The Athletic.

Natalie Achonwa and Bridget Carleton of the Minnesota Lynx, along with the Phoenix Mercury’s Kia Nurse, are the only Canadians competing in the world’s top women’s basketball league.

Further details on the exhibition match in Canada ahead of the 2023 season will be announced at a later date.

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