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 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.
Sports
Toronto Tempo Unveil Bold “Rebel” Uniform Ahead of Inaugural Home Opener
The Toronto Tempo have revealed their new “Rebel” edition uniform, giving fans a first look at the alternate jersey the team will wear during its inaugural WNBA season.
The unveiling comes just ahead of the Tempo’s first-ever home opener and marks another milestone for the league’s newest franchise as it continues to establish its identity on and off the court.
The Rebel uniform is part of the WNBA’s league-wide alternate jersey program, which encourages each franchise to create a design that reflects its values, community, and culture. For the Tempo, that vision extends beyond Toronto.
The front of the jersey features “Tempo” across the chest, reinforcing the organization’s message that, while the club calls Toronto home, it represents basketball fans across Canada. The design is centered around the team’s secondary “T” logo, with speed lines extending outward to symbolize movement, pace, and the style of play the Tempo hope to bring to the court.
The uniform is finished in Borealis Blue, offering a cool contrast to the team’s signature Tempo Bordeaux colour. Flowing lines throughout the shorts are meant to capture the rhythm and motion of basketball, creating a look that emphasizes speed and constant movement.
The jersey also highlights two of the franchise’s founding partners. Beauty retailer Sephora appears on the shoulder, while CIBC’s logo is featured on the front of the jersey.
“The Rebel uniform is where we push boundaries and fully express who we are as the Toronto Tempo,” said Whitney Bell, the team’s Chief Marketing Officer, in a statement. “It’s bold, unapologetic, and rooted in the energy of our city. Every detail is designed to celebrate individuality, creativity, and the next generation of athletes and fans redefining the game. This jersey isn’t just something you wear—it’s a statement about where we’re going.”
Fans won’t have to wait long to get their own. The Toronto Tempo’s Rebel jersey is available now through the team’s online store (shop.torontotempo.com) as excitement continues to build for the franchise’s first season in the WNBA.