The Grammy-winning artist and Global Ambassador for the Toronto Raptors has been a driving force behind developing the team’s brand over the past few seasons, and his next goal is a WNBA team.
“@WNBA, I need a team from Toronto,” Drakewrote in his Instagram storytoday.
Shortly thereafter, he posted a photo with Las Vegas Aces and Australian Opals center Liz Cambage, jokingly calling them the “face of the franchise”.
The Raptors have risen in popularity and value over the past few seasons, winning the NBA Championship in 2019 and being ranked the league’s 10th Most Valuable Franchise by Forbes that year.
Given the growing audience and popularity of the WNBA, the league has been debating a possible expansion this season in particular, with Commissioner Cathy Engelbert giving as much ahead of Game 1 of the 2021 WNBA Finals last month.
“Expansion is in sight,” she said.
“I guess we’ll be in our 26th birthday by next summer or around this time next year. [new franchises might land,” Engelbert told ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel and Tisha Thompson in October.
Ahead of the Raptors game against the Washington Wizards today, head coach Nick Nurse was asked about Drake’s comments and added his support to the idea.
“I think it’d be great. I think Toronto should have a team,” Nurse said.
“This is a golden age, the number of people playing, the amount of talent pouring out. I imagine it’d be wildly successful.”
