Vancouver has been picked to host a historic WNBA game next summer.
The WNBA announced a contest between the Seattle Storm and Atlanta Dream at Rogers Arena, making it the league’s first-ever regular season matchup held outside the United States. It’s scheduled for Friday, August 15, 2025, and features star players like the Dream’s Tina Charles and the Storm’s Nneka Ogwumike going head-to-head.
The Storm are the 2020 WNBA Champions and have four titles across franchise history, tied for the best mark of any team.
While this is Canada’s first regular-season game, it is also the country’s third time hosting a WNBA game, as Toronto and Edmonton both held preseason games in the past.
Both previous Canadian WNBA games sold out completely, and a bigger crowd is expected for this contest. Over the coming months, more information about the big game, including when and where to buy tickets, will be revealed.
“The WNBA Canada Game presented by Tangerine has been a tremendous opportunity to grow our league’s footprint, and we look forward to hosting the first-ever international regular season game with the Seattle Storm’s return to Canada to face the Atlanta Dream,” said WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a press release.
“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.”
All of this comes against the backdrop of the WNBA making more efforts to grow the fanbase north of the border. Canada will get its first team in 2026, when the Toronto Tempo are set to join the league. While the organization will call Toronto home, the current plan is for a select number of games each year to be played in other cities across the country.
WNBA viewership is spiking in Canada, as it is across North America. The 2024 season saw a 175% increase in viewers across the country compared to the 2023 season.
Vancouver is also hosting a PHWL game in 2025. The Montréal Victoire and Toronto Sceptre will face off at Rogers Arena on January 8. Tickets to the event are already on sale now.