Bridget Carleton’s season with Perfumerias Avenida in Salamanca, Spain just ended last Sunday, but the 25-year-old native of Chatham, Ont. is already back on Canadian soil and ready to play with the Minnesota Lynx in her fifth WNBA season.
That’s because the WNBA is making history with its first exhibition game in Canada on Saturday, with the Chicago Sky and Lynx tipping off at Scotiabank Arena.
With Carleton the only active Canadian player on either roster -- Lynx teammate Natalie Achonwa is on maternity leave -- the Minnesota forward will be in the spotlight.
“I mean, it's pretty surreal, you know, growing up I never imagined WNBA associated with Canada at all, it was kind of two different things. So, to be a part of this game is super special and feeling the excitement around it being here,” said Carleton.
“We got here like three hours ago already you feel the excitement, as soon as we landed in Toronto. We're really excited to be here and obviously, I'm super, super excited to be a part of it because it means a lot to have kind of two of my worlds collided.”
Canada Basketball has been one of the priorities for Carleton, who has represented her country on the biggest stages such as the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup and the Toyko 2020 Olympic Games.
Carleton was named to the All-Star Five during the World Cup as she played one of the biggest roles in leading Canada to the semi-finals for the first time since 1986, finishing the tournament with 12.8 points. 5.3 rebounds and two assists per game.
Being able to play in her home province – Carleton grew up about three hours from Toronto – with a chance to showcase women’s basketball is something she doesn’t take for granted.
“I think I'm biased, but I obviously think Toronto would be a great market, I think we're proving that with this weekend … it's kind of almost like a trial run to see what it would be like to have a WNBA team here,” said Carleton.
“Obviously with the success of the Raptors, winning a championship in 2019, you can feel the excitement around basketball in general in Canada. There's like a culture about it that people want to be a part of, it's not just about putting the ball in the hoop. As simple as that is, it's about going to games, engaging on social media, the whole thing around basketball.
“So it's exciting to be a part of that growth, and I think we're proving that Toronto is a good market for that, and obviously, to expand the WNBA it's definitely in the ... near future.”
Many other players on the Lynx like Kayla McBride have felt the excitement, knowing they will be showing up to a sold-out arena.
While atmosphere and “buying in” are keys to what make a good expansion city according to McBride, just the sheer need of representation of women in basketball is another reason why Toronto seems like a fitting market for the WNBA to add a team.
“I think back to when I was a kid growing up, and I was looking up to a lot of the players that were on our senior national team -- Kim Gaucher, Miranda Ayim -- who are gonna be at the game tomorrow, they texted me today. So I'm really excited to be those people, be that person for the next generation of kids that hopefully come to the game tomorrow who can see me, especially Canadians, playing at this level, at the highest level,” said Carleton.
“So it's cool, kind of surreal, kind of all still taking it in, but I'm obviously super happy and proud to be part of it.”
Other Canadians will be watching closely, including Laeticia Amihere, a Mississauga, Ont. native selected by the Atlanta Dream eighth overall during the 2023 WNBA Draft.
Amihere has represented Canada alongside Carleton at the Olympics and World Cup, and will look to grow the number of Canadians in the WNBA.
“I’m so excited, I know its going to be an amazing event, I’ve already seen so much that’s going on in Toronto, they put up the little WNBA statue down there, it’s going to be so exciting, it’s going to have a lot of buzz,” said Amihere.
“It’s going to turn a lot of heads for those that watch the WNBA and those who are not as familiar with it, I think it’s going to spark a lot of new viewership and a lot of new fans.”
As the game grows, so do the challenges -- Amihere has partnered with Fast and Female, a Canadian charity, to bring eyes on pay inequity in women’s sports. Both McBride and Carleton are aware that with expansion would come the challenge of travel, which has already been a struggle through the league.
At the beginning of this season the WNBA announced that charter flights would be made available more extensively, moving from covering just the Finals and the Commissioner's Cup championship to the entire playoffs and select regular-season games.
“I just think the private flights and the charter just have to be something that we make a priority. As somebody who plays year-round, first of all, traveling commercial half the season, and then the other half the season in my own country, it's really hard,” said McBride.
“It's more of a health and safety issue, I think if anything. I know they're doing something with the back-to-backs, but just making a consistent thing. I think it should just be a priority, especially if we were to expand somewhere like Toronto, the customs and things like that, it just makes everything way easier.”
Carleton said the game will create life-lasting memories.
“Playing close to home, I mean, my family means everything to me. My grandma's coming to the game tomorrow, and it's the first time she's seen me play professionally,” said Carleton.
“I think the simplicity of it at that and just the closest people to me being able to watch me live is the best part of all this for me.”
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.