Dream and Storm to meet in Vancouver in August for first regular-season WNBA game outside U.S.

On August 15, women’s professional basketball will make history as the Atlanta Dream and Seattle Storm face off in Vancouver, B.C. This marks the first time a regular-season WNBA game will be played outside the United States.https://wordpress.com/

“As we look to establish a permanent presence in Canada with our Toronto franchise, this game and our ongoing initiatives throughout the year highlight the incredible momentum of women’s basketball in Canada,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement on Tuesday.

In May 2023, the WNBA awarded Toronto its first-ever franchise outside the U.S., known as the Toronto Tempo. The team is set to begin play in May 2026.

Over the past two seasons, the WNBA has held exhibition games in Canada, including sellout events in Toronto (2023) and Edmonton (2024). The upcoming game in Vancouver will be the fifth WNBA game ever played outside the U.S. The league has previously held preseason games in Monterrey, Mexico (2004) and Manchester, England (2011).

International games have become a key strategy for professional leagues to broaden their global reach. The NFL, for example, played five international games in 2024, including its first-ever game in South America—a thrilling 34-29 win for Philadelphia over Green Bay in São Paulo, Brazil.

Given Vancouver’s proximity to Seattle, the Storm were a natural choice to play in this historic game. Details about ticket sales, broadcasting, and the exact start time will be announced in the coming months. Fans can sign up for presale notifications at WNBACanadaGame.com. The game will take place at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

While the WNBA is expanding into Toronto with the Tempo, the team aims to represent the entire nation of Canada. Team president Teresa Resch announced that the Tempo’s colors will be light blue and red, reflecting Canada’s national color scheme. The name “Tempo” works in both English and French, symbolizing Canada’s bilingual heritage. According to owner Larry Tannenbaum, while the franchise will be based in Toronto, the team will also play games in Vancouver and Montreal.

The August game will feature one Canadian player: Dream forward Laeticia Amihere, a native of Ontario.

The Storm are looking to make their ninth playoff appearance in 10 seasons, while Atlanta, led by first-year coach Karl Smesko, hopes to secure a third consecutive playoff berth for the first time since 2012-2014.

Next season is set to be a landmark year for the WNBA with new media partners NBC and Amazon joining Disney/ESPN as part of a long-term broadcasting deal. The league hopes to build on the success of 2024, which saw massive interest in a standout rookie class led by Indiana’s Caitlin Clark, along with established stars like A’Ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart, who helped set new viewership records.

During the 2024 season, 32 WNBA television broadcasts surpassed one million viewers, including the WNBA Draft.