(Reuters) – The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) will host its first-ever game in Canada, a preseason showdown between four-times champions Minnesota Lynx and 2021 title-holders Chicago Sky at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, the league said on Wednesday.
The game is a “milestone” for the league, designed to grow the popularity of the women’s sport outside the United States, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said, amid repeated calls for the league to expand.
“I’ve spoken often of the global popularity of women’s basketball and, this past season, WNBA games were broadcast in 207 countries and territories, including in Canada, where fans have shown a great appetite for WNBA action,” Engelbert said in a statement.
“We’re looking forward building on the momentum.”
It is only the third time that a WNBA preseason game has been played abroad, after games in Monterrey, Mexico, and Manchester, England, were held in 2004 and 2011, respectively.
The Lynx and Sky will face off on May 13.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Toby Davis)
