Record WNBA Crowd Fills Montreal’s Bell Centre as Dallas Defeats Toronto

On Friday night, the Dallas Wings defeated the expansion Toronto Tempo 108-95 in front of a WNBA regular-season record crowd of 20,996 at Montreal’s Bell Centre. The attendance surpassed the previous mark of 20,711 set in Washington on Sept. 19, 2024, against Indiana. Paige Bueckers led the Wings with 34 points, shooting 13-of-22, and added six assists and six rebounds. Jessica Shepard contributed 20 points and 17 rebounds, while Arike Ogunbowale also scored 20. For Toronto, Marina Mabrey tallied 34 points on 6-of-9 three-pointers and Laura Juskaite added 25. The win completed a four-game road sweep for Dallas.

Associated Press

The Tempo, the WNBA’s sole Canadian franchise, have been staging games across the country to build a national fan base. In addition to the Montreal appearance, the team is scheduled to play New York in Montreal on Sunday and will host two games in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Bell Centre previously set the Professional Women’s Hockey League attendance record with 21,105 spectators on Apr. 20, 2024, underscoring the venue’s capacity for major women’s-sports events.

Associated Press

Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello emphasized the franchise’s responsibility as Canada’s only WNBA team and highlighted the opportunity to reach new fans nationwide. Dallas head coach Jose Fernandez called the turnout “really special for Canada and for the Toronto Tempo franchise,” noting that it reflects the league’s growing trajectory and the franchise’s impact on Canadian basketball supporters.

Associated Press

• “Being the only team in Canada, it’s a responsibility for us and how cool is that,” — Sandy Brondello, Tempo coach

Associated Press

• “We get to be seen all over Canada. We want to make sure we can come out tonight and celebrate the WNBA and celebrate the Tempo with our new fans.” — Sandy Brondello, Tempo coach

Associated Press

• “I said to the team today what a unique opportunity this is. We’re creating firsts. We say we’re Canada’s team so we’re taking the show on the road,” — Sandy Brondello, Tempo coach

Associated Press

• “It just shows the trajectory of where the WNBA is and what the franchise in Toronto is doing for basketball fans in Canada.” — Jose Fernandez, Dallas coach

Associated Press