The WNBA visited Canada for the first time last Saturday, with a preseason game featuring the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx.
The game generated a lot of buzz among fans up north, generating record-breaking ticket sales, merchandise sales, and viewership.
No surprise: Per the league, Saturday's WNBA game in Toronto set league preseason records for attendance, merchandise and viewership.
— (((Eric Koreen))) (@ekoreen) May 15, 2023
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WNBA's First Game in Canada Highly Successful
Some 19,923 spectators watched from the Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Raptors, as the Chicago Sky pulled off a hard-earned win against the Minnesota Lnyx, 82-74.
WNBA and NBA Canada say 19,923 were at Saturday's exhibition game -- a league pre-season record -- and they snapped up all the gear and TV viewership was huge.
— Doug Smith: Raptors (@SmithRaps) May 15, 2023
None of it's a surprise, it's a ripe market and always has been
Now, who steps up to bid for a franchise?
The attendance is the most ever for a WNBA preseason game.
2021 WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper led the way for the Sky with 18 points and nine rebounds, while rookie Kayana Taylor added 13 points.
Sellout crowd for Toronto's FIRST-EVER WNBA game in Canada 👏
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 13, 2023
(via @TSN_Sports)pic.twitter.com/gWE9JRADHF
On the other hand, Tiffany Mitchell scored 19 points and dished out six dimes for Minnesota.
The historic game was the final preseason matchup for the two teams, but they will meet again shortly on May 19 in Minnesota for the league's regular-season opener.
According to the league, 98 percent of the merchandise available was snapped up by fans during the game, indicating a demand for more women's basketball presence in Canada.
Scenes of empty shelves in the merchandise booth were already evident by halftime.
Due to the game's success, calls for the WNBA to expand in Toronto are gaining traction. Sky star Kahleah Copper herself has shown support for the movement.
The Toronto crowd cheered passionately for the women's basketball stars, which awed people.
The WNBA thanked their Canadian fans for showing up in the game.
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