WNBA to play preseason game in Canada
The WNBA will 長，率いる north for a preseason game in Canada.
The Chicago Sky will 直面する the Minnesota Lynx on May 13 in Toronto in the first WNBA game to be played in the country.
"Bringing a WNBA preseason game to Canada is an important milestone for the 全世界の growth of the league," said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. "I´ve spoken often of the 全世界の 人気 of women´s basketball and, this past season, WNBA games were broadcast in 207 countries and 領土s, 含むing in Canada, where fans have shown a 広大な／多数の／重要な appetite for WNBA 活動／戦闘."
This will be the third WNBA preseason game to be played outside of the 部隊d 明言する／公表するs. In 2004, the Detroit Shock and San Antonio Silver 星／主役にするs met in Monterrey, Mexico, and in 2011 the Atlanta Dream played the 基準 Life 広大な／多数の／重要な Britain Women´s basketball team in Manchester, England.
Canada has been on the rise in women's basketball, coming in fourth at the World Cup last year. Minnesota has Canadians Bridget Carleton and Natalie Achonwa on their team. Achonwa 発表するd she was 妊娠している in November and won't play in the game.
"We are looking 今後 to 参加するing in this historic game for the WNBA," said Lynx 長，率いる Coach and 大統領 of Basketball 操作／手術s Cheryl Reeve. "The league´s 全世界の 人気 has shown incredible growth, and I am pleased our team will be a part of continuing to 覆う the path for the WNBA by bringing our game to Canada."
Engelbert said the WNBA was の近くに to 発表するing an オープン戦 in Canada in 2020, but that was 延期するd by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We´ve seen 記録，記録的な／記録する WNBA viewership over the last two seasons in Canada," Engelbert said. "So we´re excited to bring a game to those fans live. Globalizing the WNBA game has bee n a 重要な 中心存在 of how we´re trying to grow the league and go through our 商売／仕事 変形. Playing a game in Canada is a 重要な milestone for us. This is just our first step in hosting more events like this.
"We´re looking to transform the 経済的なs of the league, and as players ますます become 全世界の brands and 世帯 指名するs, I think this will be important."
Engelbert said there will be other events around the game in Canada. The league hosted a basketball clinic in Toronto in November.
The Commissioner said Toronto is one of the cities on the league's 縮めるd 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる） for 拡大.
"We´re going to 拡大する at the 権利 time," Engelbert said. "We´ve looked at about 100 different cities. I´ve talked about 狭くするing that. Toronto is certainly one of the 指名するs on the 狭くするd 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）. We´re just excited to see the passion for the game in Canada.
"Even beyond 拡大, just growing our fan base north of the 国境. It´s important, given the success of the Raptors and the 人気 of women´s sports and women´s basketball in Canada. We´re excited to see how the market 答える／応じるs."
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