Toronto WNBA game further proof Canadian market is ready for women's pro sports
Story by Shireen Ahmed • CBC
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
This past Saturday, 19,923 fans gathered at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena to watch the first WNBA game played in Canada. The crowd was excited and engaged, the arena was packed, and orange hoodies and hats could be seen throughout the arena.
The Chicago Sky faced off against the Minnesota Lynx and while the game didn't get thrilling until the end of the third quarter, the general ambiance was unlike anything I have witnessed. There was a vibrant excitement in the air and afterward I told a colleague that it felt like a festival: Lilith Fair meets AFROFEST, but for women's basketball.
This game was a celebration of women in sport: athletes, coaches, officials, sports business people, fans and the wider community.
The days leading up to the game were filled with activities from research centres and grassroots organizations. Nike and Adidas put on panels featuring voices of women athletes and activists in the sports ecosystem.
There is a tidal wave of interest and investment in women's sport in Canada and as I heard many say over the last week, "We are ready." I believe Canada has been ready for a long time for "She The North" in the form of domestic leagues and more funding for girls sports programs.
The day before the game, I attended the first espnW Summit held in Canada. My CBC Sports colleagues and I took in a day that was impactful and shared perspectives from a host of women in sports media. I shared my own perspectives and experiences on a panel, but it was also a day to learn and take notes of what work is still to be done.
The CBC Sports crowd at Friday's espnW summit.© Shiren Manji/CBC Sports
But the overall theme of the day was to bask in the growth and feel the rising tide of interest in women's sports.
My work requires me to be critical in my analysis, but these past few days have felt extraordinarily impactful and dare I say, joyous. As a sports journalist who has been in the industry for a long time, it finally feels as if a light bulb has turned on and people are waking up to the importance and power of women in sport. That this event also tied into Mother's Day was tremendous.
This past Saturday, 19,923 fans gathered at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena to watch the first WNBA game played in Canada. The crowd was excited and engaged, the arena was packed, and orange hoodies and hats could be seen throughout the arena.
The Chicago Sky faced off against the Minnesota Lynx and while the game didn't get thrilling until the end of the third quarter, the general ambiance was unlike anything I have witnessed. There was a vibrant excitement in the air and afterward I told a colleague that it felt like a festival: Lilith Fair meets AFROFEST, but for women's basketball.
This game was a celebration of women in sport: athletes, coaches, officials, sports business people, fans and the wider community.
The days leading up to the game were filled with activities from research centres and grassroots organizations. Nike and Adidas put on panels featuring voices of women athletes and activists in the sports ecosystem.
There is a tidal wave of interest and investment in women's sport in Canada and as I heard many say over the last week, "We are ready." I believe Canada has been ready for a long time for "She The North" in the form of domestic leagues and more funding for girls sports programs.
The day before the game, I attended the first espnW Summit held in Canada. My CBC Sports colleagues and I took in a day that was impactful and shared perspectives from a host of women in sports media. I shared my own perspectives and experiences on a panel, but it was also a day to learn and take notes of what work is still to be done.
The CBC Sports crowd at Friday's espnW summit.© Shiren Manji/CBC Sports
But the overall theme of the day was to bask in the growth and feel the rising tide of interest in women's sports.
My work requires me to be critical in my analysis, but these past few days have felt extraordinarily impactful and dare I say, joyous. As a sports journalist who has been in the industry for a long time, it finally feels as if a light bulb has turned on and people are waking up to the importance and power of women in sport. That this event also tied into Mother's Day was tremendous.
Related video: WNBA Canada Game Rematch: Chicago Sky vs Minnesota Lynx(The Parleh) Duration 0:58 View on Watch
I was reminded of this when during the pre-game press conference with the coaches, Cheryl Reeve of the Lynx brought her young son to the media centre. He sat quietly eating a sandwich and a banana while his mom took questions from the media. I thought about the other women working at the game as organizers, referees, vendors, in the media, and everything else. I let myself feel a surge of pride.
While there is so much invigorating to us, no space is perfect. And the women's basketball ecosystem is no exception.
Just this week, it was announced that 2022 WNBA champion coach Becky Hammon has been suspended without pay for two games due to "violating league and team Respect in the Workplace policies," and the team has lost its 2025 first-round draft pick for violating rules regarding impermissible player benefits.
Last week, I saw a story about Salimata Sylla, a French basketball player who is not permitted to play because the French Federation of Basketball (FFBB) bans women in hijab from competing, coaching or officiating. Sylla created her own league called Ball.Her, but she certainly wants to be included in mainstream professional play.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said she would not tolerate something like Sylla's exclusion. It's important for a league that has a strong connection to social justice advocacy to be aware of the challenges facing players around the world — particularly when, by Engelbert's own admission, the league includes players from all around the world and many play in Europe and other countries during the off-season.
Despite the gains being made and the immense anticipation we feel here, there are still places where women in sport face enormous challenges to simply play. As someone who is committed to inclusion in sports, it was also a reminder that our work is never done, but we can certainly pause and take a few deep breaths to enjoy the mountains that have been moved.
This week has certainly made me feel empowered and hopeful about connecting with women in the Canadian sports media landscape, in sport business and more.
I was heartened to see so many fans of women's basketball at the game. I spoke with young Ariyah Chaudary and her mom, Hafsah Pathan. Ariyah is a five-year-old who told me the best thing about attending the game was "eating popcorn."
I also spoke with Nanky Rai, 35, who put this game experience into perspective. Rai grew up in Guelph, Ont., and loved basketball. But as a 15- to 20-year-old, there was nothing for her to see firsthand.
"All the kids that were out there today, they saw it happen … and this changes the trajectory of peoples' lives potentially," she told me outside of Scotiabank Arena after the game. "I think Toronto needs a [WNBA] team. I think people should watch more females and femmes playing sports and I hope Toronto comes through. I hope the capitalists who make these decisions come through and realize there is a lot [of money] to be made here."
Rai's comments ring true because not only are these fans budding professional players, they are potential season ticket holders, investors, future analysts or play-by-play commentators. There are already smaller leagues in Canada like HoopQueens and the Maritimes Women's Basketball Association, so there is evidence that interest and potential is sky high.
With all the work that women have been doing to lay foundations, young people deserve the chance to immerse themselves in careers in women's basketball — with a side of popcorn if they want.
Bridget Carleton 'super excited' to be 1st Canadian to play WNBA game at home
Story by Myles Dichter • CBC - May 12, 2023
Canada's Bridget Carleton, left, seen above in May 2022, will likely become the first Canadian to play a WNBA game at home on Saturday
"It's huge to help grow the game, so I think all of it combined, there's so many different aspects to it just one game can have."
The game, which starts at 4 p.m. ET, will be broadcast on TSN and Sportsnet with an all-Canadian, all-female group. Meghan McPeak will do play-by-play next to analyst Amy Audibert, while Nikki Reyes, co-host of CBC's Canada's Ultimate Challenge, takes on sideline reporting duties.
Tickets sold out the day they became available. Carleton's grandmother will be among those in the crowd, getting to watch her granddaughter play professionally for the first time ever.
The 25-year-old spent her WNBA off-season plying her trade overseas in Spain, and with her season having just ended on Sunday, she said she hadn't seen her family since Christmas.
"So it's good to just kind of be here. Familiar environment. Yes, it will be a lot. It probably will be nerve-wracking once the game starts, but it's just compartmentalizing at this point. One thing at a time, and having teammates is helpful," Carleton said.
Carleton is one of four Canadians currently on WNBA rosters. Natalie Achonwa, who also plays for the Lynx, recently had a son. Kia Nurse signed with the Seattle Storm in the off-season, while rookie Laeticia Amihere was drafted eighth overall to the Atlanta Dream.
Achonwa will be at the game, though she won't play. Carleton said she, Achonwa and Nurse have been talking about the game in a group chat, and all plan to experience it in different ways.
Amihere told The Canadian Press that the game should be an inspiration to kids across the country.
"I wasn't able to look up to WNBA players, because they didn't have the TV channels in Canada, and obviously, there was no team in Canada," she said. "So for the young athletes being able to watch and attend these games, I think it's going to be crucial for them to be able to look up to our athletes."
Last June, The Athletic reported that Toronto was a possibility for WNBA expansion as soon as 2024. Other regions in the mix include Nashville, Philadelphia, Portland and California's Bay Area.
Former women's national team coach Lisa Thomaidis told CBC Sports a WNBA franchise would increase visibility and opportunity for young women.
"There is a passion for basketball in this country, especially in the GTA, but I think across the country that it would just change the landscape, I believe, of basketball in this country to have WNBA franchise," she said.
Carleton agreed that Toronto would make for a "good market," adding there is more than enough talent outside of the WNBA that could easily filter up if and when expansion does occur.
"I think it just makes sense with an environment, a demographic that's excited about basketball. [Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment] has been super supportive, obviously that's being shown through this exhibition game. To have a team in Toronto would be really, really cool," she told CBC Sports' Anastasia Bucsis in a recent interview.
The WNBA has rarely crossed American borders — the last time a game was played outside of the U.S. was 2011 in England, and the lone instance prior was 2004 in Mexico.
Carleton's Lynx teammate Kayla McBride said she could sense the excitement.
"To actually be here and feel the energy and obviously playing with Bridget and [Achonwa] and I know there's a couple other Canadians in in our league, I think it's just really special for them to come here and be able to play in front of their own country," she said.
Before any of Saturday's pomp, Carleton will throw the ceremonial first pitch at the Blue Jays game on Friday night.
Her lone gameplan for that?
"Aim high."
The WNBA has rarely crossed American borders — the last time a game was played outside of the U.S. was 2011 in England, and the lone instance prior was 2004 in Mexico.
Story by Myles Dichter • CBC - May 12, 2023
Canada's Bridget Carleton, left, seen above in May 2022, will likely become the first Canadian to play a WNBA game at home on Saturday
.© Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via The Associated Press
When Bridget Carleton steps onto the Scotiabank Arena court on Saturday, she'll make history.
The Chatham, Ont., native is set to become the first Canadian to play a WNBA game in Canada when her Minnesota Lynx face the Chicago Sky in an exhibition in Toronto.
Carleton said she was "super excited" to be part of the momentous occasion for Canadian basketball.
"I think it's going to be huge. Not only the ticket sales people are excited about, but little boys and girls who are looking up to us, just getting excited about women's sports in general and having it in our own backyard, easy access," she said in a press conference on Friday.
When Bridget Carleton steps onto the Scotiabank Arena court on Saturday, she'll make history.
The Chatham, Ont., native is set to become the first Canadian to play a WNBA game in Canada when her Minnesota Lynx face the Chicago Sky in an exhibition in Toronto.
Carleton said she was "super excited" to be part of the momentous occasion for Canadian basketball.
"I think it's going to be huge. Not only the ticket sales people are excited about, but little boys and girls who are looking up to us, just getting excited about women's sports in general and having it in our own backyard, easy access," she said in a press conference on Friday.
"It's huge to help grow the game, so I think all of it combined, there's so many different aspects to it just one game can have."
The game, which starts at 4 p.m. ET, will be broadcast on TSN and Sportsnet with an all-Canadian, all-female group. Meghan McPeak will do play-by-play next to analyst Amy Audibert, while Nikki Reyes, co-host of CBC's Canada's Ultimate Challenge, takes on sideline reporting duties.
Tickets sold out the day they became available. Carleton's grandmother will be among those in the crowd, getting to watch her granddaughter play professionally for the first time ever.
The 25-year-old spent her WNBA off-season plying her trade overseas in Spain, and with her season having just ended on Sunday, she said she hadn't seen her family since Christmas.
"So it's good to just kind of be here. Familiar environment. Yes, it will be a lot. It probably will be nerve-wracking once the game starts, but it's just compartmentalizing at this point. One thing at a time, and having teammates is helpful," Carleton said.
Carleton is one of four Canadians currently on WNBA rosters. Natalie Achonwa, who also plays for the Lynx, recently had a son. Kia Nurse signed with the Seattle Storm in the off-season, while rookie Laeticia Amihere was drafted eighth overall to the Atlanta Dream.
Achonwa will be at the game, though she won't play. Carleton said she, Achonwa and Nurse have been talking about the game in a group chat, and all plan to experience it in different ways.
Amihere told The Canadian Press that the game should be an inspiration to kids across the country.
"I wasn't able to look up to WNBA players, because they didn't have the TV channels in Canada, and obviously, there was no team in Canada," she said. "So for the young athletes being able to watch and attend these games, I think it's going to be crucial for them to be able to look up to our athletes."
Last June, The Athletic reported that Toronto was a possibility for WNBA expansion as soon as 2024. Other regions in the mix include Nashville, Philadelphia, Portland and California's Bay Area.
Former women's national team coach Lisa Thomaidis told CBC Sports a WNBA franchise would increase visibility and opportunity for young women.
"There is a passion for basketball in this country, especially in the GTA, but I think across the country that it would just change the landscape, I believe, of basketball in this country to have WNBA franchise," she said.
Carleton agreed that Toronto would make for a "good market," adding there is more than enough talent outside of the WNBA that could easily filter up if and when expansion does occur.
"I think it just makes sense with an environment, a demographic that's excited about basketball. [Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment] has been super supportive, obviously that's being shown through this exhibition game. To have a team in Toronto would be really, really cool," she told CBC Sports' Anastasia Bucsis in a recent interview.
The WNBA has rarely crossed American borders — the last time a game was played outside of the U.S. was 2011 in England, and the lone instance prior was 2004 in Mexico.
Carleton's Lynx teammate Kayla McBride said she could sense the excitement.
"To actually be here and feel the energy and obviously playing with Bridget and [Achonwa] and I know there's a couple other Canadians in in our league, I think it's just really special for them to come here and be able to play in front of their own country," she said.
Before any of Saturday's pomp, Carleton will throw the ceremonial first pitch at the Blue Jays game on Friday night.
Her lone gameplan for that?
"Aim high."
Women's pro sport in Canada 'ripe for investment' but investors need patience — and happy fans
"Women's hockey is not a charity. It is a professional business that is run like a business"
Global boom
The report instead leans heavily on data from a global market where women's sport is booming. In the United States, the WNBA (which is heavily subsidized by the NBA) continues to attract new fans and eager investors. So does the National Women's Soccer league. The recent women's NCAA basketball tournament drew record interest.
In Britain and India, domestic soccer and cricket leagues have thrived. Nearly all of these leagues are linked to previously existing entities and have benefited from these partnerships.
In Canada, past domestic leagues have had to make it on their own with expectations of near-immediate success, a main reason why they have failed.
Some are trying to write a new story. Former national team soccer player Diana Matheson is spearheading a new eight-team domestic soccer league that plans to kickoff in 2025. And the Professional Women's Hockey Players' Association, home to nearly every member of the Canadian and U.S. national teams, is expected to launch its long promised new league in the coming months.
In predicting a bright future for these ventures, this new report acknowledges many areas experts say have greatly hindered success in the past and provides some advice going forward.
DasGupta says Canadian leagues must seek out patient investors — those who recognize the industry is still in its infancy and avoid promises of immediate financial success.
"I think the business model needs to ... recognize that we're building the game, building interest, we're building engagement," she says. "We liken it very much to venture capital type of investment. The price of entry is actually fairly low right now. It will take time to really develop the business and some of these new revenue streams. But in the end, we believe the valuations are very, very positive."
At the same time, those who have been involved with or watched past leagues fail stress that emerging leagues don't always have a long time to demonstrate viability. It takes quick work to turn "growing interest" and "momentum" into fans actually buying tickets and coming to games. Even the most noble, patient investors want to see early signs of growth.
"Women's hockey is not a charity. It is a professional business that is run like a business," Brenda Andruss, the former commissioner of the CWPL, recently told CBC Sports. "To be run like a business you need the fans to come to the game to pay the dollars, you need the sponsorships to come, you need broadcasting and streaming rights."
"You need people in the office that are not former coaches and players and have nothing to do with the on-field product," adds Cary Kaplan, whose company Cosmos Sports has provided advice to leagues and teams across North America.
"You need to focus on community relations, marketing, public relations, ticket sales, outreach, and social media. And women's hockey, for some reason, hasn't done that."
Putting fans first
The report also encourages would-be investors to focus more attention on building fan engagement, something Kaplan says women's sports in Canada has often ignored. He says leagues need to focus more on building individual player profiles and focus on stats and achievement the way most men's sports do.
"When fans come, that drives your revenue and allows you to grow. Any incarnation of leagues in Canada have not been fan-centric," Caplan says. "They've led with lots of other things like equality and parity, which are all good. But if you don't put fans first and make that priority number one, the revenues tend not to come to sustain growth."
It's a model Brianne Jenner says leagues must embrace if the potential projected in the Canadian sports market is ever to be realized.
"We are rightly changing the way that we talk about female athletes away from simply being role models," Jenner says. "Of course [that]is a super important thing, but we're also talking about female athletes now for their skill, their speed.
"Male athletes have had that sort of coverage forever, but female athletes haven't ...and that is the content that fans want to hear about."
Jenner says all the indicators show women's sports can thrive in Canada, that it is the "ripe investment" reports like this say it is.
"We're not viewing ourselves as a charity nor do we fit that category any longer."
"Women's hockey is not a charity. It is a professional business that is run like a business"
Story by Jamie Strashin • CBC
Apr 29, 2023
Canada's Brianne Jenner, left, and Marie-Philip Poulin are shown celebrating a goal in this file photo. Jenner says, due to the lack of a full-time pro women's hockey league in Canada, 'it's tremendously frustrating that more fans won't see the prime years of Marie-Philip Poulin.'© Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press
In a country madly in love with hockey, why has the women's game never been able to ride the excitement of big events like the Olympics and form a full-time league?
For Canada's best female hockey players, it remains a sorepoint, a perplexing and never quite answered question.
Brianne Jenner, who has been part of the Canadian national team's core for more than decade, has been trying to answer that question for years.
"It's tremendously frustrating that more fans won't see the prime years of [long-time Team Canada captain] Marie-Philip Poulin," Jenner told CBC Sports.
"For our generation, it's frustrating that outside of the top 50 players that are playing on their respective national teams in North America, players 50 through 200 have to get 9-to-5 jobs and never have the opportunity to realize their potential as pro players."
The Premier Hockey Federation, the one existing women's professional league, has two of its six franchises based in Canada. But since the Canadian Women's Hockey League folded in 2018, there has been no domestic league in Canada.
More than two decades after women's hockey arrived with a bang at the Nagano Olympics in 1998, Canada's best are still searching for traction and widespread relevancy.
Changing the narrative
Jenner says there is a "momentum" around women's sports that will change this narrative.
"The public is starting to realize some things that those involved have known for a while... it's entertaining sport, [and] there's money to be made there."
A new report released this week by Canadian Women & Sport entitled It's Time supports Jenner's assertion.
"From hockey and soccer to basketball and esports and beyond, professional women's sport in Canada is ripe for investment," Nan DasGupta, Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), who helped put the report together.
BCG paints a rosy picture of the possibilities, estimating the total size of the Canadian women's sports market to be between $150-$200 million. DasGupta says that nearly half of that estimate is linked to revenue generated by Olympic athletes. Most of the rest comes from one-off events held in Canada like the LPGA's Canadian Open.
"We had to make estimates, we had to for data that wasn't readily available and that was a challenge," DasGupta says. "Because we have so little professional women's sports available to us in Canada as fans, we struggled to really be able to find lots of data points around sentiment. It's difficult to have a point of view about something that you can't see or feel."
Canada's Brianne Jenner, left, and Marie-Philip Poulin are shown celebrating a goal in this file photo. Jenner says, due to the lack of a full-time pro women's hockey league in Canada, 'it's tremendously frustrating that more fans won't see the prime years of Marie-Philip Poulin.'© Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press
In a country madly in love with hockey, why has the women's game never been able to ride the excitement of big events like the Olympics and form a full-time league?
For Canada's best female hockey players, it remains a sorepoint, a perplexing and never quite answered question.
Brianne Jenner, who has been part of the Canadian national team's core for more than decade, has been trying to answer that question for years.
"It's tremendously frustrating that more fans won't see the prime years of [long-time Team Canada captain] Marie-Philip Poulin," Jenner told CBC Sports.
"For our generation, it's frustrating that outside of the top 50 players that are playing on their respective national teams in North America, players 50 through 200 have to get 9-to-5 jobs and never have the opportunity to realize their potential as pro players."
The Premier Hockey Federation, the one existing women's professional league, has two of its six franchises based in Canada. But since the Canadian Women's Hockey League folded in 2018, there has been no domestic league in Canada.
More than two decades after women's hockey arrived with a bang at the Nagano Olympics in 1998, Canada's best are still searching for traction and widespread relevancy.
Changing the narrative
Jenner says there is a "momentum" around women's sports that will change this narrative.
"The public is starting to realize some things that those involved have known for a while... it's entertaining sport, [and] there's money to be made there."
A new report released this week by Canadian Women & Sport entitled It's Time supports Jenner's assertion.
"From hockey and soccer to basketball and esports and beyond, professional women's sport in Canada is ripe for investment," Nan DasGupta, Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), who helped put the report together.
BCG paints a rosy picture of the possibilities, estimating the total size of the Canadian women's sports market to be between $150-$200 million. DasGupta says that nearly half of that estimate is linked to revenue generated by Olympic athletes. Most of the rest comes from one-off events held in Canada like the LPGA's Canadian Open.
"We had to make estimates, we had to for data that wasn't readily available and that was a challenge," DasGupta says. "Because we have so little professional women's sports available to us in Canada as fans, we struggled to really be able to find lots of data points around sentiment. It's difficult to have a point of view about something that you can't see or feel."
Related video: Canadian athletes get a voice in national sports organizations (cbc.ca) Duration 1:54 View on Watch
Global boom
The report instead leans heavily on data from a global market where women's sport is booming. In the United States, the WNBA (which is heavily subsidized by the NBA) continues to attract new fans and eager investors. So does the National Women's Soccer league. The recent women's NCAA basketball tournament drew record interest.
In Britain and India, domestic soccer and cricket leagues have thrived. Nearly all of these leagues are linked to previously existing entities and have benefited from these partnerships.
In Canada, past domestic leagues have had to make it on their own with expectations of near-immediate success, a main reason why they have failed.
Some are trying to write a new story. Former national team soccer player Diana Matheson is spearheading a new eight-team domestic soccer league that plans to kickoff in 2025. And the Professional Women's Hockey Players' Association, home to nearly every member of the Canadian and U.S. national teams, is expected to launch its long promised new league in the coming months.
In predicting a bright future for these ventures, this new report acknowledges many areas experts say have greatly hindered success in the past and provides some advice going forward.
DasGupta says Canadian leagues must seek out patient investors — those who recognize the industry is still in its infancy and avoid promises of immediate financial success.
"I think the business model needs to ... recognize that we're building the game, building interest, we're building engagement," she says. "We liken it very much to venture capital type of investment. The price of entry is actually fairly low right now. It will take time to really develop the business and some of these new revenue streams. But in the end, we believe the valuations are very, very positive."
At the same time, those who have been involved with or watched past leagues fail stress that emerging leagues don't always have a long time to demonstrate viability. It takes quick work to turn "growing interest" and "momentum" into fans actually buying tickets and coming to games. Even the most noble, patient investors want to see early signs of growth.
"Women's hockey is not a charity. It is a professional business that is run like a business," Brenda Andruss, the former commissioner of the CWPL, recently told CBC Sports. "To be run like a business you need the fans to come to the game to pay the dollars, you need the sponsorships to come, you need broadcasting and streaming rights."
"You need people in the office that are not former coaches and players and have nothing to do with the on-field product," adds Cary Kaplan, whose company Cosmos Sports has provided advice to leagues and teams across North America.
"You need to focus on community relations, marketing, public relations, ticket sales, outreach, and social media. And women's hockey, for some reason, hasn't done that."
Putting fans first
The report also encourages would-be investors to focus more attention on building fan engagement, something Kaplan says women's sports in Canada has often ignored. He says leagues need to focus more on building individual player profiles and focus on stats and achievement the way most men's sports do.
"When fans come, that drives your revenue and allows you to grow. Any incarnation of leagues in Canada have not been fan-centric," Caplan says. "They've led with lots of other things like equality and parity, which are all good. But if you don't put fans first and make that priority number one, the revenues tend not to come to sustain growth."
It's a model Brianne Jenner says leagues must embrace if the potential projected in the Canadian sports market is ever to be realized.
"We are rightly changing the way that we talk about female athletes away from simply being role models," Jenner says. "Of course [that]is a super important thing, but we're also talking about female athletes now for their skill, their speed.
"Male athletes have had that sort of coverage forever, but female athletes haven't ...and that is the content that fans want to hear about."
Jenner says all the indicators show women's sports can thrive in Canada, that it is the "ripe investment" reports like this say it is.
"We're not viewing ourselves as a charity nor do we fit that category any longer."
Pro women's soccer initiative is a huge step forward for women's sports in Canada
Story by Shireen Ahmed • CBC
Diana Matheson, centre, is CEO of Project 8; Helena Ruken, left, is CEO of AFC Toronto City, and Shilpa Arora is general manager of DoorDash Canada, one of the team's sponsors.© APEX PR
On Wednesday morning, Canada woke up to the news that Toronto would be home to the newest professional soccer club in North America, when AFC Toronto City announced it would be joining the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Calgary Foothills in the women's league expected to begin play in 2025.
Diana Matheson, a former member of Canada's women's team and an Olympic bronze medallist, is the co-founder and CEO of Project 8, the company that has been building the league from the ground up. Hailing from Oakville, where she grew up playing in her local organizations, Matheson said the "the sky's the limit" for AFC in Canada's largest city.
A professional women's team in Toronto is a long time coming, and a domestic professional league should have been established eons ago. Matheson said they are "on track" for the league to begin play in two years, and expect to get membership with Canada Soccer at its general meeting next week in New Brunswick.
Matheson said the intention is to have all eight teams for the league by the end of 2023. While pursuit of ownership in regions across the country is definitely a priority, simple awareness and keeping momentum is important for Project 8 and its success. AFC Toronto City's sponsor is DoorDash, to go along with CIBC, Air Canada and Canadian Tire as sponsors for the league. The attention is not only focused on cementing the foundation for women's sport, but also the value that goes with it.
"We've been stuck in the past crying out for more investment into women's sport, but for whatever reasons in Canada we've only had national team pathways in all the sports … and that's really limiting in how fans can support the teams," Matheson said. "National teams only show up every three or four years, [merchandise] is limited, opportunities are also limited. All we're trying to do is add that professional sport infrastructure that we've been lacking."
Canada is home to world-class athletes and those with so much potential, but prior to the announcement of this domestic women's league, the opportunity to play at home has been almost non-existent. The only pathway now for Canadian athletes is to play for a U.S. college, with the national development teams or in overseas professional leagues.
There are stellar players who just won't get the chance to continue to play here. Should they have to hang up their cleats and move on from the game? There are women's junior leagues in Canada that will be able to feed into the professional league as well.
Project 8's latest announcement comes on the heels of a research paper released by Canadian Women and Sport about investing in professional women's sport in Canada. The findings are what we know: the market has been undervalued. The paper is called It's Time and is available on the Canadian Women and Sport website.
The reality is that when corporate partners come on board it creates more opportunity, and sponsorship is key to success. Canadian Women and Sport CEO Allison Sandmeyer-Graves underlined that on Monday at the public release of the report.
"We know that women's professional sport is not charity," she said about the report. "It requires a business case, it requires investors, and that is something that has not been fully explored in this country."
The trajectory of women's sports is going straight up. Support from the global women's sports community is truly something special. The solidarity on issues that women athletes face, including pay equity and abuse, is not unnoticed.
I keep thinking about something that Matheson said to me: "I know that I can call anyone in the world in women's sports and say: 'I'm building a women's pro soccer league in Canada, I would love to talk to you about this.' And they will say 'absolutely' and 'here's some time.'"
That's different from the way that women's sports have usually operated: on shoestring budgets, often as a second thought, but with grit and with intentionality and support from other women in similar spaces. Women are bringing the issue of sponsorship to the forefront, as the corporate sector hasn't often given priority to women's sports.
But we know that women's sports benefit all of society and the positive impact of girls sports is incalculable for confidence and for leadership and teamwork and other life skills.
Women's sports are invigorating and have so much potential. Even at a time when Canada's sports organizations are suffering from abuse scandals and systems of oppression that desperately need an overhaul, or an inquiry at the very least.
It is refreshing to see a movement that wants to grow the women's game at home and is led by people who understand, believe in, and value women in sport and women's sports. Canadian fans and lovers of soccer deserve a home team and players deserve the opportunity to thrive without having to grab their passports and fly out of the country.
Matheson said that one of the most profound responses to the announcement has been from older women and fans of the game.
"Women in their 70's have told me, 'it's about damn time,'" she said. "We're allowing that choice for Canadians to come out to a game, buy a ticket, watch it on TV, share on socials, buy a jersey, play in the league, come work for one of our teams."
Matheson is humble when she says Project 8 might have "planted a few seeds and a dream," but essentially they are approaching the league with not only opportunities for players but for an entire ecosystem to thrive. Her advice to Canadians? "Support in any way they can."
I hope Canadians are ready to get those supporter's scarves, toques and merch. I hope Canadian companies think about investing in women's leagues that will likely quickly multiply in value and bring pride to communities across this country. I hope seats sell out and that the press box is full.
I hope that generations to come will find their home on a pitch — at home.
Story by Shireen Ahmed • CBC
Diana Matheson, centre, is CEO of Project 8; Helena Ruken, left, is CEO of AFC Toronto City, and Shilpa Arora is general manager of DoorDash Canada, one of the team's sponsors.© APEX PR
On Wednesday morning, Canada woke up to the news that Toronto would be home to the newest professional soccer club in North America, when AFC Toronto City announced it would be joining the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Calgary Foothills in the women's league expected to begin play in 2025.
Diana Matheson, a former member of Canada's women's team and an Olympic bronze medallist, is the co-founder and CEO of Project 8, the company that has been building the league from the ground up. Hailing from Oakville, where she grew up playing in her local organizations, Matheson said the "the sky's the limit" for AFC in Canada's largest city.
A professional women's team in Toronto is a long time coming, and a domestic professional league should have been established eons ago. Matheson said they are "on track" for the league to begin play in two years, and expect to get membership with Canada Soccer at its general meeting next week in New Brunswick.
Matheson said the intention is to have all eight teams for the league by the end of 2023. While pursuit of ownership in regions across the country is definitely a priority, simple awareness and keeping momentum is important for Project 8 and its success. AFC Toronto City's sponsor is DoorDash, to go along with CIBC, Air Canada and Canadian Tire as sponsors for the league. The attention is not only focused on cementing the foundation for women's sport, but also the value that goes with it.
"We've been stuck in the past crying out for more investment into women's sport, but for whatever reasons in Canada we've only had national team pathways in all the sports … and that's really limiting in how fans can support the teams," Matheson said. "National teams only show up every three or four years, [merchandise] is limited, opportunities are also limited. All we're trying to do is add that professional sport infrastructure that we've been lacking."
Canada is home to world-class athletes and those with so much potential, but prior to the announcement of this domestic women's league, the opportunity to play at home has been almost non-existent. The only pathway now for Canadian athletes is to play for a U.S. college, with the national development teams or in overseas professional leagues.
There are stellar players who just won't get the chance to continue to play here. Should they have to hang up their cleats and move on from the game? There are women's junior leagues in Canada that will be able to feed into the professional league as well.
Project 8's latest announcement comes on the heels of a research paper released by Canadian Women and Sport about investing in professional women's sport in Canada. The findings are what we know: the market has been undervalued. The paper is called It's Time and is available on the Canadian Women and Sport website.
Related video: Canadian professional women's soccer league announces Toronto as 3rd franchise (cbc.ca) Duration 0:58 View on Watch
The reality is that when corporate partners come on board it creates more opportunity, and sponsorship is key to success. Canadian Women and Sport CEO Allison Sandmeyer-Graves underlined that on Monday at the public release of the report.
"We know that women's professional sport is not charity," she said about the report. "It requires a business case, it requires investors, and that is something that has not been fully explored in this country."
The trajectory of women's sports is going straight up. Support from the global women's sports community is truly something special. The solidarity on issues that women athletes face, including pay equity and abuse, is not unnoticed.
I keep thinking about something that Matheson said to me: "I know that I can call anyone in the world in women's sports and say: 'I'm building a women's pro soccer league in Canada, I would love to talk to you about this.' And they will say 'absolutely' and 'here's some time.'"
That's different from the way that women's sports have usually operated: on shoestring budgets, often as a second thought, but with grit and with intentionality and support from other women in similar spaces. Women are bringing the issue of sponsorship to the forefront, as the corporate sector hasn't often given priority to women's sports.
But we know that women's sports benefit all of society and the positive impact of girls sports is incalculable for confidence and for leadership and teamwork and other life skills.
Women's sports are invigorating and have so much potential. Even at a time when Canada's sports organizations are suffering from abuse scandals and systems of oppression that desperately need an overhaul, or an inquiry at the very least.
It is refreshing to see a movement that wants to grow the women's game at home and is led by people who understand, believe in, and value women in sport and women's sports. Canadian fans and lovers of soccer deserve a home team and players deserve the opportunity to thrive without having to grab their passports and fly out of the country.
Matheson said that one of the most profound responses to the announcement has been from older women and fans of the game.
"Women in their 70's have told me, 'it's about damn time,'" she said. "We're allowing that choice for Canadians to come out to a game, buy a ticket, watch it on TV, share on socials, buy a jersey, play in the league, come work for one of our teams."
Matheson is humble when she says Project 8 might have "planted a few seeds and a dream," but essentially they are approaching the league with not only opportunities for players but for an entire ecosystem to thrive. Her advice to Canadians? "Support in any way they can."
I hope Canadians are ready to get those supporter's scarves, toques and merch. I hope Canadian companies think about investing in women's leagues that will likely quickly multiply in value and bring pride to communities across this country. I hope seats sell out and that the press box is full.
I hope that generations to come will find their home on a pitch — at home.
