Brittney Griner headlines historic league moment.
Brittney Griner, Atlanta Dream Will Make WNBA History on Friday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
For the first time in league history, a WNBA regular-season game will be played outside the United States.
Friday, the Atlanta Dream and Seattle Storm tip off at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, marking both the league’s Canadian regular-season debut and the first WNBA game ever held in Vancouver.
The matchup comes just two days after Atlanta’s 85-75 win over Seattle in Washington, a game in which 10-time All-Star Brittney Griner put up 11 points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench, all in the first half.
This result extended the Dream’s winning streak to six games and pushed them to 21-11, first in the Eastern Conference.
Seattle, now 16-17, enters on a six-game losing skid, its longest since 2023.
History in the making 🇨🇦
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 15, 2025
The first-ever WNBA regular season game in Canada and the first in Vancouver, tips TONIGHT 🍁
ATL 🆚 SEA | 10pm/ET | ION pic.twitter.com/LVOvRBztyz
Significance of the Vancouver Game
This is the WNBA’s first regular-season game in Canada and its third Canadian appearance overall, following sold-out preseason exhibitions in Toronto (2023) and Edmonton (2024).
The event is backed by 15 Canadian corporate partners, including Air Canada, Bell and Gatorade and includes youth clinics, fan activations and community programming.
It also serves as a preview for the Toronto Tempo, the league’s first Canadian franchise, debuting in 2026.
Toronto Tempo: Canada’s Future WNBA Team
The Tempo will be based in Toronto but aim to build a coast-to-coast fanbase.
Led by President Teresa Resch and GM Monica Wright Rogers, the franchise is determined to "build a community that reaches beyond the borders of the city," with chairman Larry Tanenbaum labelling it as "Canada's team."
The Tempo’s presence at tonight’s game, including a fan club booth and merchandise sales, is designed to connect with West Coast fans ahead of their inaugural season.
Canada is the league’s largest untapped market, with WNBA viewership up 175% year-over-year, and is now set to host one of the true icons of the league in Griner and her surging Dream.
Atlanta is on pace for its first winning season since 2018 and holds the WNBA’s third-best title odds (10.5%).
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
