TORONTO, CA. – The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) today announced that the third WNBA Canada Game will feature the Atlanta Dream and the Seattle Storm playing a regular-season game on Friday, August 15, 2025, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C., marking the first regular-season WNBA game outside of the U.S.
“The WNBA Canada Game has been a tremendous opportunity to grow our league’s footprint, and we look forward to hosting the first-ever international regular season game with the Seattle Storm’s return to Canada to face the Atlanta Dream,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. “As we prepare to establish permanent roots in Canada with a Toronto franchise, this game and our year-round engagement efforts are a nod to the incredible momentum around women’s basketball in Canada.”
The Dream’s 2024 campaign concluded with a second consecutive playoff appearance for the first time since 2013 and 2014. Atlanta’s 2024 roster featured Rhyne Howard, the 2022 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year; Tina Charles, who ranks first and second, respectively, in WNBA history for rebounds and points; Allisha Gray, who last year became the first player in WNBA history to win both the Kia WNBA Skills Challenge and WNBA STARRY® 3-Point Contest at WNBA All-Star; and Mississauga, Ontario’s Laeticia Amihere.
The four-time WNBA champion Storm are coming off their 25th anniversary season and 19th playoff appearance. The Storm’s 2024 roster featured WNBA Champion, 2016 Kia WNBA MVP and nine-time WNBA All-Star Nneka Ogwumike, two-time WNBA champion and six-time WNBA All-Star Jewell Loyd, and six-time WNBA All-Star Skylar Diggins-Smith.
“This is a monumental moment for the WNBA, and we are honored that the league chose the Dream to participate in the first regular-season game outside the U.S. Atlanta Dream President and COO Morgan Shaw Parker said. “We look forward to showcasing our amazing athletes on a global stage in Vancouver. Members of our team have competed internationally, and now they will be doing so wearing Dream colors and representing the city of Atlanta.”
The Dream participated in the first preseason WNBA game in Europe when they defeated the Great Britain Women’s National Team in Manchester, England in 2011. The Storm took part in the second preseason WNBA Canada Game in May 2024 when they defeated the Los Angeles Sparks in Edmonton, AB.
Ticket information, broadcast details and the start time of the game will be announced in the coming months.
“The WNBA Canada Game is an opportunity to showcase the WNBA and its talent to more fans,” Seattle Storm CEO and Team President Alisha Valavanis said. “The Storm is honored to be a part of this international celebration of basketball. Playing in front of fans in Edmonton in 2024 was a highlight of the season and we’re looking forward to bringing the Storm energy back to Canada in 2025.”
Following the sold-out 2023 and 2024 WNBA Canada Games held in Toronto and Edmonton, respectively, the 2025 game will mark the fifth WNBA game to be played outside of the U.S. following the previous games in Canada, England and Monterrey, Mexico (2004). This year the WNBA set records for digital consumption and merchandise sales in 2024 and had its most-viewed WNBA playoffs presented by Google in 25 years. 2024 WNBA viewership in Canada was up 175% compared to the 2023 season, and the league also set new highs in Canada across digital platforms including WNBA League Pass and social media.
In 2024, Toronto and Portland were granted the 14th and 15th franchises, respectively, both of which will begin play in the 2026 season.
WNBA Contributed to this column
