Fast and Female Visits the WNBA Canada Game

By Morgyn Engman

The Fast and Female got the opportunity to attend the first ever WNBA game on Canadian soil. 

On May 13th the WNBA came to Canada for the first time to play an exhibition game before the season starts on May 19th, 2023. The game brought so much excitement to the city, with many events leading up to the game to promote the WNBA and women in sports.  This gave fans opportunities to connect with teams and build the atmosphere around the game. There was a WNBA Logo Sculpture that visited different parts of downtown Toronto to commemorate the game. The court was complete with the WNBA logo in the centre. 

The game was played between the Minnesota Lynx and Chicago Sky. Two Canadians played, Bridget Carleton and Natalie Achonwa. The game concluded with a score of 82-74 with the Chicago Sky defeating the Minnesota Lynx. Over 19,000 people attended to watch the game.

This was an exciting experience for women and girls but also everyone else. The game is fun and interesting to watch no matter what gender you identify. There was a feeling of unity with so many people wearing WNBA or team merchandise.

Leading up to the game, Fast and Female worked on the Ally Hoop: The First Mascot for Equal Pay campaign. This campaign launched the week prior to the game, using the pay of NBA mascots and WNBA athletes to illustrate the pay inequity in sport. The Fast and Female team rocked our Ally Hoop T-Shirts at the game, taking in the experience. It was amazing to see the excitement of young girls seeing themselves in the game. One girl said “It was so cool. It was like watching my future.” This is so powerful for young girls to get to

experience what so many young boys have been able to experience for many years. The WNBA gives girls a place to see themselves in sport.

For me, the game was not all about the score of the game, but more about the success for women’s sport as a whole and the future opportunities this could jumpstart. The success of this game showed the importance and viability of a WNBA expansion team in Canada. It is also a signal that other women’s sports could thrive in Canada, and the rest of the world. Most importantly, the game gave girls examples of all that they could do. With an all-women broadcast team, women athletes and many women behind the scenes, girls could see the many paths they could follow in their future. These women represent the possibilities to reach equality. The game was an empowering experience for girls and women!