‘It gives me chills.’ We asked women what the WNBA could do for Toronto

Well, they weren’t one of the 18,000 bodies that sold out Scotiabank Arena on May 13, 2023, to watch a WNBA game take place in Canada for the first time, the Lynx against the Sky. They didn’t see the young girls and boys rocking jerseys from well before their time, or the looks on the faces of the seasoned vets, in disbelief that they were witnessing this in their lifetime.

They weren’t there a year later when a giddy Kia Nurse yelled, “Hey hey, Canada, how you feeling?!” ahead of her preseason debut with the Sparks versus the Storm in front of another sold-out crowd at the Rogers Centre in Edmonton. They didn’t have my postgame view as a sideline reporter with eyes on Nurse, who after taking the time to greet a group of never-ending fans, stopped halfway through the tunnel to her locker room, bent over and cried, overcome of seeing her legacy playing out in real time. If they had, they would know that with news like this, it’s impossible to report facts without feeling.

To answer Nurse’s question: everyone in that arena was feeling a lot of feelings, mostly the realization that this—this could really work. Not even three weeks passed before news broke that Toronto would be getting its very own W team, with the franchise tipping off its inaugural season in 2026. Then, those feelings quickly rolled down the spectrum to the side of, “Oh s—t, this is going to have to work.” The generational impact can’t be summed up in a number of sold-out seats: a young Canadian girl will be able to see herself in a WNBA player who can call Canada home.

It’s a level of impact that player Natalie Achonwa has fought for relentlessly, though her dedication to the Canadian Women’s National program and her leadership with the WNBA players association. Whether she’s on the court as a Minnesota Lynx forward or on maternity leave after the birth of her son last spring, the Guelph native has led the charge to ensure that the industry’s fruits can be enjoyed by the labourers who planted them. I reached her at home, fresh from the gym and right after putting one-year-old Maverick down for a nap.

First thing after the announcement that Toronto gets its first WNBA franchise team, I go on social and you are hot step dancing. I was like, ‘Yup, we have certainly arrived!’ What was your reaction when you first heard?

“I felt an array of emotions but the one that I kept coming back to was joy. That’s joy for my inner child and the next generation of girls and boys that will have the W in their backyard and will have these amazing women role models that they get to see firsthand.

And as someone that grew up watching the Raptors—I’ve got my Carter jersey—to know that kids are going to be wearing whoever the next Toronto star is going to be, it gives me chills. I didn’t think we would have our own team so soon. It’s amazing that it’s coming and says so much about the growth of the game in Canada.”

Do you remember sitting courtside when the W first came to Toronto last May? How much did that hit from a player perspective, who’s probably heard time and time again that it would not work up north of the border?

“It was one of those ‘Where were you when this happened?’ moments. To say I was courtside will be one of my greatest moments of sports history because it was the first time the W played in Canada. When the anthem played I got teary, and when the ‘WNBA belongs in Toronto’ or ‘we need our own team’ sign came up on the board the crowd went wild—and it wasn’t one time, it was every time. And then to hear how well the game did in terms of ticket sales, merch sales, general turnout—not just at the game but in all of Toronto and all the events they had—it was such a great showcase for what basketball could be in our country. I’m glad that Edmonton got a taste of it too this year. And now I’m glad that we’ll be able to continually have that energy for women’s basketball, women’s sports, with our own WNBA team.”

As someone who’s had such a good experience with the Canadian women’s program, what do you think the need is for young women in basketball to continue their participation and stay in Canada?

“It always comes down to opportunity. And that’s investment in the game at the grassroots level so girls have the same quality of teams, the same league opportunities. I think that’s all it’s going to take. Because for so long you’d come to a point where you were like, ‘Okay, I’m good at this level, it’s not a challenge but now what’s next, what can I strive for?’ We need to build the programs that allow them to take those steps and not have big gaps and drop-offs.

I love that the W team is here but I still think it’s so important for us to have a domestic league in Canada because the WNBA currently is 144 athletes. We’re about to add another 24 with these two new teams, that gets us to 168. That’s still a hard league to crack. It’s the best league in the world and the reality is that it’s a small percentage, the elite of the elite.”

You’re such an integral part of keeping these conversations going. Then you take your mat leave so you’re kind of a step away from it while things are happening. I’m curious about your viewpoint of what you’re going to be coming back to.

“I think Nneka Ogwumike, our players’ association president, said it best: we’re not going to accept the status quo. I think that was both honouring where we are and also continuing to push forward and strive for more.

The younger ones coming out, they’re like, ‘Blow the whole house down, we want everything.’ The older vets that I grew up with, especially in Canada, are like, ‘We’re grateful for what we have.’ This middle group is a great blend because I believe that they are not accepting the crumbs anymore, but also realizing where we’ve come from. That’s the mentality that I have and will continue to have. Basketball has given me so much that I would never do it the disservice of not continuing to push and grow the game, regardless of if I’m physically on the court.”

I was talking to Nneka and she was saying, I want Caitlin Clark to go off in these games, like let her come. But is there something to be said about this new audience that comes for Cameron Brink, Caitlin, Angel, but then stays and sees Diana Taurasi, let’s say? Yeah, sure, there’s a crop of talent coming in but there’s also a crop of talent that has been and is pretty dope too.

“You’ve got to get them in the door. Bringing fans in and allowing them to see the quality of product is what makes them stay. Whether that’s having this star class come in and bring fans from their respective programs, from mainstream, whether finally we get a top-tier TV deal that’s putting our games on TV on primetime, whether that’s getting expansion teams in new cities: however they come, once they see the product they fall in love.”

What are you hoping the landscape looks like for a fresh team when it comes to fruition in 2026?

“Toronto has an amazing opportunity to really own what basketball looks like in Canada. And they have some time to prepare, step by step, to make sure that they exceed the moment. Most people see basketball as entertainment. We’ve got the product—the basketball itself, it’s there. How can we continue to improve the environment around our games in arenas? Because there’s a big difference when I play overseas and when I play at home: in the moment in the arena, it’s exciting, whether that’s from DJs, half-time shows, creative ways to keep fans engaged in the gym.”

It has to be less corporate, more authentic for that to happen. Like, Washington has brunch!

“That’s what I’m saying. L.A.‘s DJ always sticks out in my mind, he’s playing in there and he’s on the mic chirping. I understand the business has to makes sense, you have to make sure that the return is there. But the demand for the tickets has been increasing, we’re moving to bigger facilities or arenas, the cost of tickets is going up. So how can we continue to improve the atmosphere so people walk into the game and have fun at half-time, have fun pre-game, have fun post-game.”

The level of commitment has never been in question for the women’s program. What goes into building that gold standard year after year?

“The commitment, dedication and expectation of answering the call was before my time. This was Teresa Gabriele, Kim Gauthier, the Tatham sisters, Lizanne Murphy, Chelsea Aubry. They built that commitment in the program by continually showing up, regardless of where they were in the world or in their lives. That is why I continue to show up, and I do that pregnant with a belly, shooting hoops over my birthday weekend, or playing in my first tournament back six months postpartum. I will always answer the call, as long as I can still lace up my shoes. That is what it really means to represent Canada. They say there’s only two places you get to represent your country: in war and in sport. And I do not take that honour lightly.”