The energy in Rogers Arena was electric on Friday night as the Seattle Storm faced off against the Atlanta Dream in front of a sold-out crowd in the first regular-season Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) game outside the United States.
The Seattle Storm defeated the Atlanta Dream 80- 78, ending the Dream's 6-game win streak. The Seattle Storm led the Dream for the first half, but during the second half, the Dream managed to close the gap, even taking a five-point lead over the Storm at one point.
The last two minutes of the 4th quarter were a nail-biter. It was full of time-outs, fouls, and free throws, but when that buzzer finally went off, the crowd erupted in celebration.
Seattle Storm Forward Eduring the final minutes of the game, she was focused on getting stops and helping her team secure the win. "I think we've been in these positions the last six games, and so it wasn't a situation that was new to us. We knew we had to get stops. We knew we had to capitalize on plays," Magbegor said. "Being able to bring that defence to the team was something I was really hoping to do."
Magbegor said the Vancouver crowd was incredible. "They were super loud when we got stops when we were down. We heard them the whole time. They were our sixth man on the court tonight. We love Vancouver."
This is not the first time the WNBA has played outside the United States; it is, however, the first regular-season game it has played. It played WNBA games in Edmonton, Alberta (2024); Toronto, Ontario (2023); Manchester, England (2011); and Monterrey, Mexico (2004).
A to be part of history in playing the first WNBA regular-season game outside of the United States.
"As a rookie, it鈥檚 a moment that I鈥檓 really proud of and a moment I get to share with my teammates. I鈥檓 just really excited to play in Vancouver. I鈥檝e never been here before, but I do have an uncle that played here a long time ago in the CFL 鈥� his name was Joe Paopao. He was a quarterback. Being able to be in his old stomping grounds is an amazing feeling,鈥� Paopao said.
It was evident that the WNBA and its partners had invested a significant amount of effort into making this game a success. From events throughout the Lower Mainland the week leading up to the game, to the fan experiences set up throughout the concourse, featuring interactive games, giveaways, photo opportunities, clinics, and merchandise.
I've never been to a WNBA game before, so I have nothing to compare it to, but it was amazing to watch, and I would recommend it.
At first, it felt like the crowd was so excited to be watching a WNBA game in Vancouver that we were cheering for both teams. However, in the last quarter, it was clear that most were cheering for Seattle.
Tickets for the game were reasonably priced, starting at $34.90; mine came to around $40 after fees and taxes.
The game even featured a competition at halftime to find Vancouver鈥檚 10 fastest babies, where babies 8 to 13 months old had to crawl between the free throw lines, with the fastest baby being crowned Canada's first WNBA baby race champion.
One baby had a huge lead, but in the end, 9-month-old Alivia Mann won.
Last night's featured a competition to find Vancouver鈥檚 10 fastest babies, where babies 8- 13 months old had to crawl between the free throw lines, with the quickest baby being crowned Canada's first WNBA baby race champion.
鈥� Anna Burns (@AnnaBBurns)
Teresa Resch, president of the Toronto Tempo, and general manager Monica Wright Rogers announced during the game that in the Toronto Tempo's 2026 inaugural season, it will play two games in Vancouver.
