WNBA ballers hitting the court at Rogers Place Saturday
Pro ballers are preparing to dish it up at Rogers Place.
Canada's second-ever pre-season WNBA game will be played in Edmonton Saturday with the Los Angeles Sparks taking on the Seattle Storm.
Storm head coach Noelle Quinn is also the lead assistant coach for the Canada Women's National Team, which is ranked fifth in the world by FIBA.
"People can expect a great game," said Tammy Sutton-Brown, former WNBA All-Star. "The girls are going to play hard … I think it's going to be a really competitive game and it's going to be a fun atmosphere."
Last year a pre-season game in Toronto set WNBA records for broadcast viewership, attendance and merchandise sales in Canada.
The game comes at the end of what the WNBA says is its most-watched regular season in 21 years. This year, a record-number of Candians also tuned into the 2024 WNBA Draft, shattering the previous record by 111 per cent.
Sutton-Brown was the first Canadian selected as a WNBA All-Star. She said games like this are important in showcasing the talent and opportunities in the league.
"In order to be it, you have to see it. So for the young boys, the young girls, I think this is a great opportunity," she said. "I encourage dads to bring their daughters out. And then also your sons as well, because they're going to be advocates too when it comes to women and sports."
According to Canadian Women and Sport, Canada has put in a bid for a WNBA expansion team.
Saturday's game will be the fourth WNBA game played outside the U.S. In the morning, dozens of local youth will take part in an all-women-led basketball skills clinic.
The game starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available and start at $26.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From AI running wild to collapsing ecosystems, government report outlines future disruptions
From collapsing ecosystems to artificial intelligence running wild, a new Canadian government report outlines 35 disruptions that could rattle the country in the coming years.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
opinion Tom Mulcair: With Trudeau spiralling, Mark Carney waits in the wings
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Toronto Blue Jays fan struck by 110 m.p.h foul ball offered tickets, signed baseball by team
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
Matthew Perry's death is being investigated over ketamine level found in actor's blood, reports say
An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
Police in Ontario say suspects charged in armed home invasion near Toronto part of 'larger criminal network'
Police in Ontario say a group of suspects charged in an armed home invasion north of Toronto last year were driving a vehicle stolen in a carjacking in Calgary just one month earlier.
Air turbulence: When can it become dangerous?
Flight turbulence like that encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday is extremely common, but there's one aspect of severe turbulence an aviation expert says can lead to serious injury.
Orphan orca's extended family spotted off northeast side of Vancouver Island
Members of a killer whale pod related to an orphan orca calf that escaped a remote British Columbia tidal lagoon last month have been spotted off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.