Groundbreaking WNBA stop in Vancouver raises the bar ahead of league’s 2026 Canadian expansion

When Brittney Griner landed in Vancouver on Friday night to set foot in Canada for the first time, she wished she had visited sooner.

Griner, along with the rest of her Seattle Storm and the opposing Atlanta Dream were in town to take part in a historic moment in the WNBA — the first ever regular-season game on Canadian soil.

“I think it’s dope … it’s cool out here. I like it a lot,” the 6-foot-9 centre said in a pre-game interview.

The game served as a teaser for what domestic fans might experience in May 2026 when the Toronto Tempo officially joins the league, and when American teams will touch down in Canada more regularly.

“A regular-season game within this country is really just a precursor for what we’re going to have on a continual basis with the Tempo,” Teresa Resch, Tempo president, told CBC Sports.

WATCH | Thousands of fans show up for Canada’s 1st WNBA game in Vancouver:

Inside Vancouver’s historic WNBA Canada Game

Resch, along with Tempo general manager Monika Wright Rogers were centre court Friday night to announce more good news for West Canadian basketball fans:  Vancouver will host another two games during the 2025-2026 WNBA season.

Deafening cheers filled the arena when the fans heard the news.

While the game couldn’t have been scripted better — a third-quarter buzzer-beater from Storm guard Skylar Diggins, a comeback by the Dream in the final frame, and a nailbiting 80-78 win by Seattle — it was what happened off the court that signalled a new chapter for women’s basketball in Canada.

Nearly 20,000 fans arrived at Rogers Arena in the pouring rain, wearing everything from Team Canada apparel, Caitlin Clarke jerseys, and WNBA branded t-shirts that read Everyone Watches Women’s Sports.

Atlanta Dream guard Ryhne Howard told CBC Sports she hopes they inspire anyone with aspirations of playing professionally to chase it.

The significance of the game went beyond box office sales, representing a new era of opportunity and possibility for women athletes.

WATCH | Storm hang on for nervy win against Dream in Vancouver:

Storm edge Dream in 1st regular-season WNBA game in Canada

For Cathy Lucas, who travelled from Tofino, B.C., with 13 First Nation youth basketball players for the game, it was a chance to show the girls something they can aspire to.

“We came because we wanted to give these girls something to look forward to. They all just started out in basketball,” she said.

To make the trip possible, WNBA Canada extended an invitation to the team and paid for the girls’ tickets to the game.

“For myself and my daughter, we watch the W religiously and we go to Seattle, Vegas, but to have the Toronto Tempo next year, it’s super exciting,” she said.

“We can have somebody to root for, Canada’s team, not just Toronto.”

In the midst of the WNBA’s growth and its expansion to Canada, instances of player abuse by fans online and in-arena, is becoming a headline-dominating storyline in recent months.

This, coupled with the Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association demand for higher pay threatening a player boycott to the 2025-2026 season, puts the league in a precarious position.

When asked about the Canadian fan base and her hope for next season, Resch quickly referenced the Tempo’s fan platform “Together We Win” to foster community and inclusion.

“Our fans are already incredible, and we can’t wait to meet them,” she said.

“We want everybody to feel welcomed. We want everybody to feel like they have a place there. Also, hold each other accountable.”

The next time Canada will play host to a WNBA game, the Tempo will be the home team at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, where another piece of history will be made.