After a 10-month-long detention in a Russian prison and missing the entire 2022 WNBA season, Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner finally stepped on the court amidst a cheering crowd on Friday night. A day after the momentous occasion, the league witnessed created history. WNBA played its first-ever game in Canada and its third game internationally. Moreover, a couple of NBA stars joined the crowd for the historic game on Saturday night. 

It’s a preseason tradition in the NBA to conduct a game outside the United States to acknowledge the fandom across the world. The women’s league had previously organized games in Mexico and England, but the inaugural game in Canada turned out to be historic. Incidentally, Canada is the only country to own a franchise in the NBA outside the USA.

Canada welcomed a couple of NBA stars

WNBA fans created history as the Saturday night game between the Minnesota Lynx and the Chicago Sky had a sold-out arena in Canada. As soon as the authorities opened bookings on March 8 (International Women’s Day), the tickets sold out within minutes. Moreover, the roaring support even prompted fans to yearn for Canada’s very own WNBA team. Apart from fans, a couple of NBA stars also attended the game.

Former Toronto Raptors star and NBA Champion Serge Ibaka received warm applause from the crowd. Oklahoma City Thunder star, Luguentz Dort was also present courtside. The Chicago Sky sealed the game with a comfortable 82-74 finish and would look to carry the momentum into the regular season.

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Apart from the result, the massive turnout for a women’s game instilled hope in fans’ minds a night after one of the greatest women’s players made her return to the court. 

Brittney Griner won hearts on her return

Griner finally stepped on the basketball court for a competitive game after several months on Friday. The star entered the arena amid roaring cheers. In response to the arena’s atmosphere, the Mercury’s head coach, Vanessa Nygaard, said, “I’m getting emotional about it now. Just to see her back out there… it’s an absolute miracle,” as per CBS News.

It is no surprise for the Mercury fans that Griner would return to the side because she already announced it in a grand Michael Jordan style. The 6’9” star dropped 10 points in a losing cause, however, fans expect her to stamp her authority in the regular season. 

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What do you make of the roaring response to the inaugural WNBA game in Canada? Will it give rise to a new WNBA team from Canada? Let us know in the comments below.