WNBA Toronto!
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WNBA Toronto!
- cupcakesnake
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WNBA Toronto!
Northern expansion is officially on the way according to multiple sports. The team will be owned by Kilmer Sport inc (which involved Larry Tanenbaum).
Toronto was apparently at the front of the line but the league pivoted to San Francisco when Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment refused to let the WNBA team play the Scotiabank center.
I went to the exhibition game last year at Scotiabank and it was completely sold out and had the best vibes I've ever felt in a stadium (aside from the time I saw Toronto eliminate Milwaukee to go to the finals, maybe).
Anyways this is huge news and expansion is much needed for the W.
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- Sixth Man
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This is such amazing news! It'll be really interesting to see what they call the team. I'm guessing SF next season and TOR the season after that?
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Strong market based on previous exhibition games and events. Maybe there was also a novelty aspect to it but it is also a market in which there has been grassroots and upward organizing in girls basketball from elementary to post secondary for decades.
For there to now be professional levels beyond these will help grow the women's game here. It'll be interesting to see when we will get the first homegrown talent from this new additional pipeline.
For there to now be professional levels beyond these will help grow the women's game here. It'll be interesting to see when we will get the first homegrown talent from this new additional pipeline.
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Thinking of you, Pop
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- cupcakesnake
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zike_42 wrote:This is such amazing news! It'll be really interesting to see what they call the team. I'm guessing SF next season and TOR the season after that?
Exactly, Toronto in 2026.
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Re: WNBA Toronto!
- cupcakesnake
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Re: WNBA Toronto!
G R E Y wrote:Strong market based on previous exhibition games and events. Maybe there was also a novelty aspect to it but it is also a market in which there has been grassroots and upward organizing in girls basketball from elementary to post secondary for decades.
For there to now be professional levels beyond these will help grow the women's game here. It'll be interesting to see when we will get the first homegrown talent from this new additional pipeline.
They're in an arena called the Coca-Cola coliseum, which is a little under 10,000 capacity (8100 for hockey so a bit more for basketball). They should be able to sell that out and get create a solid raucous vibe as they grow the team. The popular W teams (Las Vegas, Phoenix, Seattle) right now draw about 9000. New York playoff games we like 12-17k.
WNBA wanted Scotiabank center so interested that they settled and still agreed to the expansion. No news so far on the price tag.
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- MrDollarBills
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12 new roster spots for the league and Toronto will probably show out to support the team.
I see this as an absolute win for the sport
I see this as an absolute win for the sport
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C: Richaun Holmes/Thomas Bryant
PF: Karl Anthony Towns
SF: OG Anunoby/Matisse Thybulle
SG: Luke Kennard/Terance Mann/K. Caldwell Pope
PG: Cole Anthony/Isaiah Joe
C: Richaun Holmes/Thomas Bryant
PF: Karl Anthony Towns
SF: OG Anunoby/Matisse Thybulle
SG: Luke Kennard/Terance Mann/K. Caldwell Pope
PG: Cole Anthony/Isaiah Joe
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- IlikeSHAIguys
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is there a reason there wasn't a canadian team before?
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IlikeSHAIguys wrote:is there a reason there wasn't a canadian team before?
I’ve read that at the beginning of WNBA, there was a possibility but they preferred to concentrate the effort on righting the Raptors boat .
Then I think the idea resurfaced when Raptors won the championship but COVID hit
Then the pre season sellout put Toronto back in the Map but MLSE’s part owner Ed Rogers wanted to be contrarian and push back
Then finally with right ownership with Larry T, WNBA is coming .
Re: WNBA Toronto!
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- Sixth Man
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It's been officially announced: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/may/23/toronto-confirmed-as-first-wnba-franchise-outside-the-united-states
Interesting to see that the team will play in Vancouver and Montreal. Does that mean it might be called the Canada [Team Name] instead of the Toronto [Team Name]? Either way, this is going to be huge for the league.
Interesting to see that the team will play in Vancouver and Montreal. Does that mean it might be called the Canada [Team Name] instead of the Toronto [Team Name]? Either way, this is going to be huge for the league.
Re: WNBA Toronto!
- cupcakesnake
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zike_42 wrote:It's been officially announced: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/may/23/toronto-confirmed-as-first-wnba-franchise-outside-the-united-states
Interesting to see that the team will play in Vancouver and Montreal. Does that mean it might be called the Canada [Team Name] instead of the Toronto [Team Name]? Either way, this is going to be huge for the league.
I think they just mean they'll plan some exhibition games or special event games in Vancouver and Montreal. Probably part of the proposal is to grow the market in Canada. There's nothing reported in the agreement that says anything about arenas outside of Toronto, just a quote from the owner.
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I hope they stick with the dinosaur theme
Toronto Pterodactyls.
Toronto Triceratops.
Toronto Pterodactyls.
Toronto Triceratops.
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- Stannis
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cdubbz wrote:I hope they stick with the dinosaur theme
Toronto Pterodactyls.
Toronto Triceratops.
Same. I think it will be pretty cool. But it might be hard to do. "Raptors" kind of rolls off the tongue. And it's not a family of dinosaurs.
Maybe they can actually be called the Toronoto Dinosaurs or Dinos lol?
Free Palestine
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- MrDollarBills
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Stannis wrote:cdubbz wrote:I hope they stick with the dinosaur theme
Toronto Pterodactyls.
Toronto Triceratops.
Same. I think it will be pretty cool. But it might be hard to do. "Raptors" kind of rolls off the tongue. And it's not a family of dinosaurs.
Maybe they can actually be called the Toronoto Dinosaurs or Dinos lol?
I looked at a list of Dinosaur names (which was fun, who doesn't love dinosaurs?) and honestly it's a hard sell to try to use a derivative name from the Raptors.
Maybe since Birds are the evolved form of Dinosaurs, they can name the team after a cool bird. Like Toronto Redhawks or something.
BAF Indiana Pacers 2023-24
C: Richaun Holmes/Thomas Bryant
PF: Karl Anthony Towns
SF: OG Anunoby/Matisse Thybulle
SG: Luke Kennard/Terance Mann/K. Caldwell Pope
PG: Cole Anthony/Isaiah Joe
C: Richaun Holmes/Thomas Bryant
PF: Karl Anthony Towns
SF: OG Anunoby/Matisse Thybulle
SG: Luke Kennard/Terance Mann/K. Caldwell Pope
PG: Cole Anthony/Isaiah Joe
Re: WNBA Toronto!
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Re: WNBA Toronto!
MrDollarBills wrote:I looked at a list of Dinosaur names (which was fun, who doesn't love dinosaurs?) and honestly it's a hard sell to try to use a derivative name from the Raptors.
Maybe since Birds are the evolved form of Dinosaurs, they can name the team after a cool bird. Like Toronto Redhawks or something.
Toronto Rexes
Or T Rexes for short.
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Darius Garland/Cory Joseph
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Re: WNBA Toronto!
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DOT wrote:MrDollarBills wrote:I looked at a list of Dinosaur names (which was fun, who doesn't love dinosaurs?) and honestly it's a hard sell to try to use a derivative name from the Raptors.
Maybe since Birds are the evolved form of Dinosaurs, they can name the team after a cool bird. Like Toronto Redhawks or something.
Toronto Rexes
Or T Rexes for short.
Their mascot is gonna have short arms
They'll need to come hard because the Liberty has the #1 Mascot in the league right now
BAF Indiana Pacers 2023-24
C: Richaun Holmes/Thomas Bryant
PF: Karl Anthony Towns
SF: OG Anunoby/Matisse Thybulle
SG: Luke Kennard/Terance Mann/K. Caldwell Pope
PG: Cole Anthony/Isaiah Joe
C: Richaun Holmes/Thomas Bryant
PF: Karl Anthony Towns
SF: OG Anunoby/Matisse Thybulle
SG: Luke Kennard/Terance Mann/K. Caldwell Pope
PG: Cole Anthony/Isaiah Joe
Re: WNBA Toronto!
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MrDollarBills wrote:Stannis wrote:cdubbz wrote:I hope they stick with the dinosaur theme
Toronto Pterodactyls.
Toronto Triceratops.
Same. I think it will be pretty cool. But it might be hard to do. "Raptors" kind of rolls off the tongue. And it's not a family of dinosaurs.
Maybe they can actually be called the Toronoto Dinosaurs or Dinos lol?
I looked at a list of Dinosaur names (which was fun, who doesn't love dinosaurs?) and honestly it's a hard sell to try to use a derivative name from the Raptors.
Maybe since Birds are the evolved form of Dinosaurs, they can name the team after a cool bird. Like Toronto Redhawks or something.
Too many bird names in sports imho.
I was thinking something with reptiles. Vipers are already taken by a G-League team.
Kinda hope it's just a dinosaur name now, even if it's a long one that doesn't roll off the tongue lol.
Free Palestine
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- MrDollarBills
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Stannis wrote:MrDollarBills wrote:Stannis wrote:
Same. I think it will be pretty cool. But it might be hard to do. "Raptors" kind of rolls off the tongue. And it's not a family of dinosaurs.
Maybe they can actually be called the Toronoto Dinosaurs or Dinos lol?
I looked at a list of Dinosaur names (which was fun, who doesn't love dinosaurs?) and honestly it's a hard sell to try to use a derivative name from the Raptors.
Maybe since Birds are the evolved form of Dinosaurs, they can name the team after a cool bird. Like Toronto Redhawks or something.
Too many bird names in sports imho.
I was thinking something with reptiles. Vipers are already taken by a G-League team.
Kinda hope it's just a dinosaur name now, even if it's a long one that doesn't roll off the tongue lol.
Raptors is like the only dinosaur name that I can find that rolls off the tongue
Toronto Tyranotitans lol
BAF Indiana Pacers 2023-24
C: Richaun Holmes/Thomas Bryant
PF: Karl Anthony Towns
SF: OG Anunoby/Matisse Thybulle
SG: Luke Kennard/Terance Mann/K. Caldwell Pope
PG: Cole Anthony/Isaiah Joe
C: Richaun Holmes/Thomas Bryant
PF: Karl Anthony Towns
SF: OG Anunoby/Matisse Thybulle
SG: Luke Kennard/Terance Mann/K. Caldwell Pope
PG: Cole Anthony/Isaiah Joe
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the trouble is most dinosaur names (beside being a thousand syllables) end in 's' while being singular. trying to make them plural makes them even less fluid to say
they could try and beat the utah hockey team to yeti or mammoth
i like rhinos, but i'm not sure if i like that as a team name or not
they could try and beat the utah hockey team to yeti or mammoth
i like rhinos, but i'm not sure if i like that as a team name or not
Re: WNBA Toronto!
- MrDollarBills
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hermes wrote:the trouble is most dinosaur names (beside being a thousand syllables) end in 's' while being singular. trying to make them plural makes them even less fluid to say
they could try and beat the utah hockey team to yeti or mammoth
i like rhinos, but i'm not sure if i like that as a team name or not
Yeah like outside of "Raptor" it gets icky.
The Toronto Allosaurs just doesn't hit right
BAF Indiana Pacers 2023-24
C: Richaun Holmes/Thomas Bryant
PF: Karl Anthony Towns
SF: OG Anunoby/Matisse Thybulle
SG: Luke Kennard/Terance Mann/K. Caldwell Pope
PG: Cole Anthony/Isaiah Joe
C: Richaun Holmes/Thomas Bryant
PF: Karl Anthony Towns
SF: OG Anunoby/Matisse Thybulle
SG: Luke Kennard/Terance Mann/K. Caldwell Pope
PG: Cole Anthony/Isaiah Joe
Re: WNBA Toronto!
- DOT
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Re: WNBA Toronto!
MrDollarBills wrote:hermes wrote:the trouble is most dinosaur names (beside being a thousand syllables) end in 's' while being singular. trying to make them plural makes them even less fluid to say
they could try and beat the utah hockey team to yeti or mammoth
i like rhinos, but i'm not sure if i like that as a team name or not
Yeah like outside of "Raptor" it gets icky.
The Toronto Allosaurs just doesn't hit right
You wouldn't be a fan of the Toronto Leiopleurodons?
BaF Lakers:
Darius Garland/Cory Joseph
Klay Thompson/Shaedon Sharpe
Keldon Johnson/De'Andre Hunter
Evan Mobley/Tari Eason
Nic Claxton/Draymond Green
Bench: Leonard Miller, Jett Howard, Markquis Nowell, Kennedy Chandler, Day'Ron Sharpe
Darius Garland/Cory Joseph
Klay Thompson/Shaedon Sharpe
Keldon Johnson/De'Andre Hunter
Evan Mobley/Tari Eason
Nic Claxton/Draymond Green
Bench: Leonard Miller, Jett Howard, Markquis Nowell, Kennedy Chandler, Day'Ron Sharpe