Sports
Tickets Are On Sale For The WNBA Regular Season Game At Rogers Arena
Vancouver’s run of major women’s sports milestones keeps rolling. The city already welcomed its first professional women’s soccer team, Vancouver Rise, and scored a Professional Women’s Hockey League franchise. Now, basketball is stepping in to round out the trio.
On August 15, Rogers Arena will host a landmark game between the Atlanta Dream and the Seattle Storm, marking the first-ever WNBA regular season game held outside the U.S.
Fans have been buzzing since the game was first announced in December. Tickets finally go on sale Wednesday at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.
“This is a monumental moment for the WNBA, and we are honoured that the league chose the Dream to participate in the first regular-season game outside the U.S,” said Atlanta Dream president and COO Morgan Shaw Parker. “We look forward to showcasing our amazing athletes on a global stage in Vancouver. Members of our team have competed internationally, and now they will be doing so wearing Dream colours and representing the city of Atlanta.”
The WNBA tested the waters in Canada in 2023 with sold-out preseason games in Toronto and Edmonton, showing just how strong the appetite is for women’s hoops north of the border. The league later announced Toronto and Portland will become expansion cities in 2026.
This will be the fifth WNBA game played outside of the U.S., joining a 2004 matchup in Mexico and earlier games in Canada and England. The Dream already made history once overseas, playing in the WNBA’s first preseason events in Europe back in 2011.
“The WNBA Canada Game has been a tremendous opportunity to grow our league’s footprint, and we look forward to hosting the first international regular season game with the Seattle Storm’s return to Canada to face the Atlanta Dream,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “As we prepare to establish permanent roots in Canada with a Toronto franchise, this game and our year-round engagement efforts are a nod to the incredible momentum around women’s basketball in Canada.”
Both teams are off to solid starts this season. The Dream, sitting second in the East with a 3-2 record, are coming off their second consecutive playoff appearance. Their roster includes Brittney Griner, the 6-foot-8 star center and former No. 1 pick who made global headlines after her 2022 detainment in Russia and eventual return home via a prisoner exchange.
Seattle, a four-time WNBA champion, is 3-1 and holding strong in the West. Their stacked lineup features nine-time All-Star and 2016 MVP Nneka Ogwumike, sharpshooter Jewell Loyd, and Skylar Diggins-Smith.
Vancouver’s basketball fans are in for a historic night, and it’s a big one for the WNBA too!
Sports
Toronto Tempo Bringing WNBA Action to Vancouver for Two-Game Series
WNBA basketball is coming to Vancouver this summer as the Toronto Tempo bring two regular-season games to Rogers Arena as part of their inaugural season.
The Tempo will face the Portland Fire on August 21 before taking on the Las Vegas Aces on August 23. The two games will give basketball fans across British Columbia a chance to see Canada’s WNBA team play on the West Coast.
The Vancouver series is part of the Tempo’s push to build a team that represents fans across the country. The franchise has already made its mark in its first season, including a record-setting stop in Montreal.
The Tempo’s regular-season showcase at Montreal’s Bell Centre drew 20,996 fans, setting a new WNBA regular-season attendance record. The Vancouver games continue that effort to bring the team closer to fans outside Toronto.
“From the beginning, our vision has been to build a team that represents all of Canada,” said Teresa Resch, President of the Toronto Tempo. “The support we’ve seen from fans across the country has been incredible, and we’re excited to bring the energy of the WNBA to Vancouver.”
Resch added that the games are a chance to celebrate basketball on the West Coast and connect with communities across the country.
Vancouver has a long history with basketball and has produced elite players at various levels. The Tempo’s visit gives local fans a chance to see professional women’s basketball in their own city, while providing young athletes with another opportunity to see the sport at its highest level.
The Tempo will stay in Vancouver beyond the court. The team will host Tempo Live at Rogers Arena on Saturday, August 22. The free community event will feature interactive basketball activities, clinics, exclusive merchandise and family-friendly programming.
Tickets for the Tempo’s August 21 game against Portland and August 23 matchup with Las Vegas are on sale now through Ticketmaster.
Sports
Toronto Tempo Could Make WNBA Attendance History in Montreal
The Toronto Tempo are on the verge of making WNBA history when they bring their Cross-Canada Series to Montreal next month.
The Tempo will face the Atlanta Dream at the Bell Centre on July 10, with the possibility of setting a new attendance record for a WNBA game. If the game sells out, more than 22,000 fans would fill the arena, surpassing the current WNBA regular-season attendance record of 20,711 set by the Washington Mystics at Capital One Arena in 2024.
A packed Bell Centre would also eclipse the WNBA playoff attendance record of 22,076, which was established during Game 3 of the 2003 WNBA Finals between the Detroit Shock and Los Angeles Sparks before being matched in Game 5 of the 2007 WNBA Finals between the Phoenix Mercury and Detroit Shock. It would mark the largest crowd ever for a professional women’s basketball regular-season game, breaking the previous record of 21,490 set during an Unrivaled game in Philadelphia earlier this year.
The potential milestone comes during the Tempo‘s inaugural WNBA season and would add another chapter to the continued growth of women’s basketball in Canada.
“Playing two games in Montreal this summer is a huge moment for the Tempo and for basketball in Canada,” said Tempo President Teresa Resch. “From the beginning, we’ve said we want to be Canada’s team, and bringing the WNBA to Montreal is an important part of that vision. There is such a strong and passionate basketball community in Quebec, and we’re excited to connect with fans there in a meaningful way. We can’t wait to experience the energy inside the Bell Centre and continue growing the game across the country together.”
The Cross-Canada Series will offer more than basketball. Throughout the weekend, the Tempo will host community events, youth programs and fan experiences aimed at growing the sport across Quebec.
The team is partnering with Ball Her Way and the Mathurin Family Foundation to increase access to basketball for young athletes, including a girls’ 3-on-3 tournament presented by Canadian Tire featuring teams from Montreal and Quebec City. The Tempo say more community investments and programming in the Montreal area will be announced in the coming months.
Fans can take part in Tempo Live at the Bell Centre on July 11. The free event will include interactive basketball activities, community clinics, exclusive merchandise and family-friendly entertainment.
The weekend concludes on July 12, when the Tempo host the defending WNBA champion New York Liberty at the Bell Centre at 3 p.m. ET as part of the Cross-Canada Series.
Tickets for both Montreal games are available through Ticketmaster.