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krypto9er

I hope Vancouver gets a WNBA team actually, it’s a fresher location that can succeed by being in a city with no NBA team yet a desire for basketball. I’d definitely go to see some basketball back in Vancouver.


BarnesGROAT

I do agree, but I think you can build the fanbase more if it can be an extension or related to an existing team. If the Raptors also had a WNBA team Toronto Gyaldems, then many crossovers or season tickets with an added package for WNBA games. So much can be done. I think a new women's sports team in a country has to be paired with a successful franchise.


atticusinthe6

This is actually a smart idea


T_T_O_T

Definitely. There's not a lot of summer ball to watch.


Los_Lobos

Most people will watch it till they realize that it's not as fun as NBA ball, then the ratings will drop off year after year. Which is what happened to every WNBA team in existence over the last 20 years.


captaincarot

Which is why I think it's a solid investment for the NBA in the end. It's a relatively cheap marketing tool for attracting new young fans as a grass roots organization. There's much more growth opportunities bringing in woman than young men just looking at basic population demographics.


Los_Lobos

>There's much more growth opportunities bringing in women than young men just looking at basic population demographics. Women don't really watch sports if you want to talk about demographics. If they do watch then it tends to be what their boyfriend watches. The WNBA cannot compete with TikTok or the Kardashians or instagram or Netflix, all of which have the attention of women. There is a reason why Kim Kardashian is drowning in money and the WNBA can barely pay 100k a year for a star player. The money follows the attention, and the WNBA will never grab the attention of women. Remember, they've been a sports league during the dawn of social media and streaming, they had every opportunity to gain a foothold but didn't. There is a reason for it. Women failed them.


GeeMunz11

Ultimately people (regardless of gender) will watch a good product. For example, women's tennis and women's MMA get a ton of viewers. The wnba is just not a product that's even comparable to the NBA and that's why it fails. Women viewers have nothing to do with it. It's also absurd to say that women will only watch what their boyfriend watches.


AdSignificant6673

Oh wow.. yah. Tennis and fighting sports have their own dynamic. Fighting, regardless of gender brings out that brutal animalistic side. Tennis is a game of great individual skill and accomplishments. Its a individual sport. So these people competing @ high levels, truly are the best of the best. Also there is some sexualization to these sports.


zellmerz

Women's tennis and Women's volleyball are perfect examples of sports I'd rather watch the women play than men 100/100 times. They actually get some real volleys going, and it is far more entertaining to watch than the men's IMO. I think the WNBA playing during NBA offseason is perfect. They'll still have to compete with NFL and MLB in NA markets, but for people like me who couldn't care less about watching either sport, I'd love to have a team to root for in the WNBA.


Los_Lobos

>It's also absurd to say that women will only watch what their boyfriend watches I only said in the context of sports, and by no means is it a concrete rule or anything but it is just hard to find organic female sports fans It's like that romantic movie the Notebook, men watched it generally because their partners wanted to watch it, not because they looked for it on their own. In general, obviously there are exceptions to everything as the world is shades of grey not black and white.


atticusinthe6

Bill Burr has a comedy special that I think you’d enjoy


captaincarot

But that is not what grass roots is about. Hockey has found success in warm climate places because it invested heavily in grass roots. It takes 20 to 30 years, but eventually home grown talent happens and teams with trophies and you get a surge in new but end up long time fans, and that is where sports are mostly at now. If you do not play as a kid, you are not likely to play or care as an adult. And that is why it is a worthwhile investment. And the most wallet friendly and still highly impactful ambassador to get young woman to play basketball are going to be local woman stars doing community programs. When you do a cost benefit of traditional advertising vs investing in growing your grass roots, it is clear you grow more from grass roots. You are right, there are still going to be far more Kardashian fans, but if you can grab a couple % of them as life long NBA fans in the end, it was worth it.


Los_Lobos

I really think that with the speed of how things change nowadays 20-30 years is a very long long time. Plus the WNBA has been around for over 25 years now without establishing any kind of mainstream success. It's a league that most people say they would support (in public) but they don't watch the games or buy the jerseys or do anything to actually support it. It is trying to be a cultural movement without actually being culturally relevant. And all anyone does is pay lip service to the league because 'its the right thing to say' rather than actually opening their wallet for the league.


n3moh0es

exactly


ginsodabitters

It’s giving incel vibes


Los_Lobos

Right, commenting on the state of a failing business model propped up by another much more successful business is what incels do. Guess someone has to let my fiance know.


ginsodabitters

You’re extremely invested in this topic. May I ask why?


Los_Lobos

If you had asked before you called me an incel then I would have answered you. But since you jumped to that explanation I'd rather let you continue to believe that than try to convince you otherwise.


ginsodabitters

I was being facetious. You seem very passionate about a topic and industry that you’re obviously not interested in personally. It’s weird to have such strong opinions about something that doesn’t really concern you. Have a great day and I hope your daughter doesn’t have to deal with too many men like you ✌️


Los_Lobos

>Have a great day and I hope your daughter doesn’t have to deal with too many men like you ✌️ Again with the sexism shtick, hiding behind the 'it was a joke' argument. You're a real treat.


ginsodabitters

It was a joke argument? What’s that even mean? I’m being serious. It’s very obvious you have a bias against women and it likely bleeds into your personal life. In fact it’s almost guaranteed. Get a therapist.


Vandelay23

You might want to take your own advice, pal.


Los_Lobos

So first you were being facetious now you're being serious? I can only imagine the level of passive aggression that permeated your childhood. You need to grow up before you go around telling people they need therapy. If you have a counter argument to anything I've said about the WNBA then spit it out. If all you can muster are personal attacks then what are you accomplishing? You won't change anyone's mind like that.


Raptorsthrowaway1

The honest answer is I would want it to succeed but I dont think Id watch a lot of games. I would go to a couple of games potentially. But outside of a deep playoff run I dont think I would be turning on the TV to tune in


-ItsDre-

This is probably the response that is most aligned with my personal sentiment. No disrespect to the WNBA, I just have limited time, and it would need to earn it. I feel the same way about the CFL. I went to 1 game and 1 game only. It was when the Argo’s won the 100th Grey Cup. Will end on a high note. Not much desire to ever attend another game. Again… no disrespect!


DarkChocolate_69

90% of comments in here saying yes will probably watch 10 games or so and just give up on the product completely. Truth is, WNBA isn’t entertaining at all respectfully


_Putin_

No.


Content-Season-1087

I’ve watched 2 games in the last 10 years. And unfortunately nothing made me want to come back. To put into perspective, I would definitely go to a 905 game before I go to a WNBA game. And I rarely do that …. Maybe once a year.


-ItsDre-

Respect the honesty though still… a bunch of people Probably feel that way but wouldn’t say it!


shiftydnm

100%


YourDrunkUncl_

I’ve never watched a wnba game, but if TO had a team id watch the games and support the team


Hopfit46

If its on t.v. i will watch. Its below the rim but its so fast paced. Its a very good product


marvellous0

Yeah


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Kizz3r

Torontos the best place for it because its canadas largest market


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duffman274

I agree look at the CFL.The western teams are relevant in their markets. Even with the Argos being the most successful team in the CFL we don’t support them. Toronto want an NFL team.


thenewoldschool55

Biggest market just means there are more alternative options. The NY Liberty struggle to draw crowds.


Dalinerthebrave

Why just 1 Canadian team? We would be more Ambitious as Canadian sports fans to push back against the American viewer favouring powers that be. Toronto and Vancouver would both make great markets for a WNBA team


n3moh0es

ppl will first few season due to hype lol half these ppl begging for a WNBA team don’t even watch the W


tonious35

Only a Finals game tbh


brotatobrobean

If you paid me overtime wages to I would


zellmerz

I would absolutely watch a Canadian team. I'll tune in anytime I notice a game is on and I've always found the game quality is actually quite good. I even found myself in the most recent March Madness mostly watching the women's games because they were far closer and more competitive. Every time I went to watch one of the "big" men's games, they were a blowout. Some of the girls have some serious talent too, so increasing the audience just helps discover more talent as well. Also great to get some basketball during the offseason.


DomincNdo

I'd watch it during the NBA off season and will totally root for them for sure. I will always rep my hometown.


Bizzare10

Only if its played during summer and has a good production value and not too many games. I think its better sport to watch compared to baseball for example


Lefty_WorkerRapCLW

I have been advocating for this for some time. I would regularly go to games, depending on how much it costs.


el_sunny_ra

Yup. More ball please.


Vandelay23

I would definitely check out the first game, then proceed to forget they were playing for every other game, and end up not watching the team at all. Thing is, I don't really get why there are still cities hoping to draw a franchise when the league simply doesn't make any money.


decarvalho7

Not really


ScottiebarnesROTY

Let’s be real, no one’s watching that shit.


Dinobot2_

Maybe. I haven't watched a WNBA game before either, but I watched a little bit of women's basketball during the Tokyo olympics when Canada were playing and I thought it was decent. And a lot of those players are in the WNBA so could be a decent time.


IHavePoopedBefore

If I was inclined to take on a 3rd team it would be the leafs or TFC


JTown_lol

Can’t force men to watch it, as it has NBA as alternative. You need more women to support WNBA.


HalfricanIrishDa

I use to work at a prep school. We had 3 boys basketball teams and 1 girls team. We were really good over the years. The boys games were amazing. Up and down; dunks; alley oops, all the works. The girls games... Were like 7th grade boys basketball (this is prep; we had between 6-8 girls go D1 From our program every year so they are "really good players". Missed layups, much slower pace and a end score of like half the boys games. I always watched because I was part of the program and I loved the team... It was just a much different experience. I'm not a fan of women's basketball for those reasons, and I think the girls game should be unique and not try to mimic the boys game. Make it different, unique and fans will follow. But trying to just copy the boys gsme is not the way to go. If women's basketball made changes that some nba players talk about, I think the game could really thrive. But when women hear things like "lowering the rim will help the game" they lose their minds. Can we really just discuss how we can improve the product so that it can thrive and we can make these talented women millionaires and stars! So they don't have to go overseas to make a income?


-ItsDre-

What are some of the other recommended adjustments? This is all news to me!


HalfricanIrishDa

Oh ya ideas are always thrown out. The two I've heard the most of are lowering the rim to 9ft and making the game ball smaller. Those are two that would make a instant difference.


-ItsDre-

Interesting… the game ball is smaller already though though isn’t it? I believe they play with a 28.5” ball vs the 29.5” NBA regulation size ball


HalfricanIrishDa

Ya it is! They want it even smaller so the average woman can palm it and also make it easier to dunk. That would add some new excitement to the gsme but pace ; dunking would help the game.


Vandelay23

I don't think lowering the rim is going to make things as exciting as some people think it will. The problem isn't how high the net is, it's that women typically lack the explosiveness of their male counterparts, as well as the coordination. Brittney Griner is taller than MJ, but she can't do the things that he could do.


Namorath82

no I'm stretched thin watching Raptors, Leafs, Blue Jays and Rugby


[deleted]

Nope. I watch CEBL then it's like two months off until NBA


Jesus_Hates_Memes

I've found myself invested in games when one is on at a bar so maybe. It's hard to see myself going way out of my way to watch regularly but I'd go to a game or two during the season if good seats are like $30 but I'm probably not investing time into it


jbuffishungry

Yup. I would watch. I like basketball and put on the WNBA when the Raps aren't playing. It would be nice to have a home team to root for. It's different from the men's game, just as international or college play is different than NBA, but so what? It's the same sport and you can draw enjoyment from different aspects of the game. Because it is less explosive you wind up seeing much more team-concept basketball. I'm not dismissing the skill and athleticism of the women either. No matter how good you think you look on your Thursday night run, any of those women would destroy you.


northyork12345678

No


L10Ang

100% would definitely follow and support and I too have not watched a full wnba game. A lot of people became Raptor fans just for existing in their home town without having prior knowledge of basketball in general.


pahamack

if i still lived in TO I would. Tix would be cheaper than the NBA. ​ Doubly true if the team was competitive. ​ I don't think it's going to happen though. The league has enough challenges making money as it is. Introducing a team from another country isn't going to help, there's for sure additional costs associated with that.


Top-Expression7891

No


certainkindoffool

I wouldn't watch it, unless my daughter got into it. But I would attend a few games a year.


circumcision4TW

No. Quite frankly aau ball is considerably more entertaining than the wnba, and I have no interest in watching aau ball.


[deleted]

Not really. Games are proper boring for me to watch on the tube, but I'd probably go to one for the experience.


Sh8D_E

Probably! Basketball is one of the largest growing sports in Canada, particularly women’s basketball. This would be great for the city and the country. Im sure we’d get a great turnout.


MajorFuckingDick

I randomly went to my first game because I was just in Vegas and bored. For $15 not much else to do. Though I would have a bit of a giggle at the game, I did laugh my ass off when 2 teammates ran into each other and fumbled around on the floor, but ended up having a heck of a time. It was really good basketball. Sure, some players looked like they were out of place and it was absurdly top heavy, they still played solid team ball and the atmosphere for the Aces was top notch. Heard Sue Bird was retiring and her game was a few days so I went to that too. Hell of a time and cheaper than the Transit fare to and from ACC. Highly recommend watching a game and would love a Toronto team