“Becoming Caitlin Clark” is out now!
Howard Megdal’s newest book is here! “Becoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar” captures both the historic nature of Clark’s rise and the critical context over the previous century that helped make it possible, including interviews with Clark, Lisa Bluder (who also wrote the foreword), C. Vivian Stringer, Jan Jensen, Molly Kazmer and many others.
It’s an important game, too. Atlanta has skyrocketed to second place league-wide, competing with New York for that coveted No. 2 seed. The difference between having to play the top team (which is currently Minnesota, with a six-game lead) in the finals or semifinals hangs in the balance. Atlanta wants all the wins it can get.
Seattle, on the other hand, is trying to climb out of the hole it’s ended up in. After being a top 4-5 team all season long, a losing skid saw the Storm slide down the ranks. They now barely hang on to a playoff spot at eighth place, and are desperate to try and regain their status if they can.
The backdrop of this big game with big implications: Vancouver. A thriving sports city — once home to the NBA’s Grizzlies, now home to teams like the CEBL’s Vancouver Bandits, NHL Vancouver Canucks, NSL Vancouver Rise FC, PWHL Vancouver and more. Fans of the Storm may very well travel the three hours by car to come support their Storm and take in the scenery here in British Columbia, while the city’s own basketball fans will welcome any hoops they can get.
These games are also a preview for what’s to come in the WNBA. With the Toronto Tempo entering the WNBA next season, Canada will have its own team to cheer for. The Tempo have leaned heavily into the idea of being “Canada’s Team” and plan to hold their own special event games all across Canada as well. Their NBA counterparts, the Toronto Raptors, travel the country every year for their training camp and preseason, doing an open practice for the public and a preseason game in a different city each season. Their preseason game in early October will also be held in Vancouver this year.
Whether the Tempo decide to follow suit with a similar preseason tradition, or travel around the country in different ways, the messaging is still the same: they are Canada’s team. In an interview with The Next last week, Tempo general manager Monica Wright Rogers emphasized the importance of everyone on the team, including their yet-to-be-hired head coach, knowing the importance of the Canadian community in their team culture. These events won’t end just because Canada gets their team next season. That’s not the end of the efforts to grow the game here, but the beginning of a new chapter.
Want even more women’s sports in your inbox?
Subscribe now to The IX Sports and receive our daily women’s sports newsletter covering soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers. That includes Basketball Wednesday from founder and editor Howard Megdal.
Readers of The IX Basketball now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.
The WNBA has enhanced this season’s Canada game with efforts to engage the community. Swin Cash, WNBA Hall of Famer and four-time WNBA All-Star, helped introduce new WNBA 3-point line activations on public courts in Vancouver on Thursday morning. Cash was also present for a panel event about women’s wellness on and off the court on Thursday evening, talking about the importance of prioritizing yourself whether you’re an athlete or not. The Toronto Tempo will be present for activations before and during the game, introducing fans in Vancouver to the team that’s as much theirs as it would be if they were based in the city.
This game tonight is more than just a regular season game in a cool location — it’s a celebration of how much the game has grown in Canada and globally. It’s a way for fans to feel the connection with this sport, even if there is no team in the market here. It’s a way to introduce American fans to the culture of sport, and women’s sport especially, in Canada. More than anything, it’s an important reminder that even in the grind of a competitive season, women’s basketball is bigger than the game being played on the court. It’s about using this game as a conductor to other things like empowerment, community activism, health and wellness, and showing young kids that if you can see it, you can be it.