Toronto Raptors, Canada Basketball and MLSE unite for 2024 Olympic push, showcasing NBA flair on women’s uniforms
In an innovative move, the Toronto Raptors have teamed up with Canada Basketball and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment to elevate the profile of Canadian women’s basketball on the international stage as they prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The initiative, announced Nov. 1, sees the Raptors’ iconic imagery prominently featured on the uniforms of the world’s No. 5-ranked Canada’s Senior Women’s National Team, as reported by Gist. Specifically, the team’s shorts will don the Raptors logo during their games leading up to the Olympics.
To kick off this partnership, a girls’ basketball clinic was held in Toronto, with Canadian national team athletes serving as guest coaches. Among those in attendance were Canadian WNBA stars Kia Nurse, Natalie Achonwa, Bridget Carleton and Laeticia Amihere, shining a light on the significant talent coming out of Canada. Carleton seized the moment to express her aspirations for a WNBA team in Toronto.
“I would love to have a WNBA team in Toronto – wouldn’t everybody around here love that? Just wanted it to work out, but the league is still expanding, they’re moving in the right direction and I think the anticipation around women’s sports in Toronto and Canada is continuing to grow,” Carleton said, as reported by Myles Dichter of CBC News.
This partnership is set against a backdrop of a rich basketball tradition in Canada, where the sport has over a century-long history, with its invention traced back to a Canadian. The contemporary popularity of women’s basketball in the country was on display when a WNBA exhibition game sold out Scotiabank Arena’s 19,800 seats in a single day earlier this May. Additionally, viewership for regular-season WNBA games in Canada has seen a surge, with an increase of over 95% in the last three years.
While MLSE has stepped back from its WNBA expansion bid, its commitment to supporting women’s basketball remains steadfast.