This preseason exhibition game will feature the Seattle Storm and Los Angeles Sparks, building off of the extremely successful event in Toronto last May.
The WNBA and NBA Canada are teaming up for the second WNBA Canada Game, this time in Edmonton, Alberta. On Sunday May 5, 2024, the Los Angeles Sparks will take on the Seattle Storm in a preseason exhibition game at Rogers Place.
Last year, the WNBA held a preseason game between the Minnesota Lynx and Chicago Sky at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. It was a wild success, with fans selling out the 19,000-seat arena in just minutes.
THANK YOU CANADA Over 19,000 in attendance
Y’all really showed up and showed out in our first #WNBA game in Toronto pic.twitter.com/XJtBFku241
— WNBA (@WNBA) May 14, 2023
The entire weekend was filled with pop-ups, fun events, panels and art installments around the city, all celebrating the historic event. With recent news about the WNBA potentially expanding to Canada, the league has decided to hold a second exhibition game in Canada.
The choice to have the game in Edmonton presents an opportunity to highlight important women’s basketball history. Canada’s first formal professional basketball team was based out of Edmonton, called the Edmonton Commercial Graduates or the “Grads.” The Grads represented Canada at the 1924 Paris Olympic Games, since Canada Basketball did not have a designated women’s program at that time. The Grads won gold in women’s basketball at those games. To hold a game in Edmonton exactly 100 years after the first Edmonton professional women’s basketball team made history at the Olympics seems fitting.
From the Edmonton Grads, to players making a splash in the WNBA and NCAA, Canadians are an indispensable part of basketball history.
In her debut piece, @chelsealeite takes a deep dive into the legacy of Canadian Women in basketball https://t.co/aPNYXsSyPi
— Winsidr (@Winsidr) March 28, 2023
The Sparks have Canadian senior national team player Kia Nurse on their roster, who, along with the likes of Dearica Hamby and Layshia Clarendon, will serve as a veteran presence for a fiery young LA team. Los Angeles also owns the No. 2 and No. 4 overall draft picks in the 2024 WNBA Draft, allowing fans in Edmonton to be treated to some the league’s newest, exciting talent. The Storm look like potential championship contenders, with Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith joining Jewell Loyd in Seattle.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Mar. 20, but fans can sign up for presale access at WNBACanadaGame.com.
This will be the second WNBA preseason game played in Canada, and fourth outside of the United States. The two others were in Manchester, England in 2011 and Monterrey, Mexico in 2004. WNBA viewership in Canada was up 32 percent in the 2023 season compared to 2022, and the preseason game in Toronto broke broadcast viewership records.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert expressed excitement about bringing the second WNBA Canada Game to fans, saying:
Fans, partners and communities across the country embraced the WNBA, setting records for viewership, merchandise sales and attendance, and we’re looking forward to the opportunity to once again showcase our league in a city with a rich sporting legacy and indelible ties to basketball through the Edmonton Grads and Canadian Women’s National Basketball Team.
More information about the broadcast of the game will be announced at a later date.
