"Raptor’s stole Knick’s chopped cheese recipe" — WNBA fans roast James Dolan's team for voting down on Toronto's new franchise

By Sean Cavanaugh

Modified May 23, 2024 22:53 GMT

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The WNBA is growing in popularity, and now the league is also growing in teams. The league on Thursday announced its 14th franchise in Toronto, Canada, with the new team nearly unanimously approved.

The WNBA owners approved the new team in a 13-0 vote. The NBA owners nearly matched it in a 29-1 vote from the league’s Board of Governors. The one outlier was New York Knicks owner James Dolan.

The move was possibly due to the Knicks' current lawsuit against the Toronto Raptors, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Knicks are suing Toronto for alleged “theft of proprietary information.”

The move drew plenty of trolling online. Many fans on X ridiculed Dolan and the Knicks as a petty move.

Many speculated why the Knicks were mad to vote against the new team. Some joked that the Raptors stole special recipes for a famous bodega sandwich from the Knicks.

“Raptor’s stole the Knick’s chopped cheese recipe omg,” a fan joked.

Others got their jokes off about the beef between the teams. Many admired the Knicks' pettiness.

“I appreciate the petty from New York lol,” a fan wrote.

“Salty just like their fans,” a fan wrote.

Some suspected Dolan may be regretting selling the New York Liberty across town to the Brooklyn Nets. He may be upset he does not have his own WNBA team anymore.

“Dolan wishes he had the Liberty back in MSG,” a fan wrote.

Others were confused by the beef. One fan pointed out the pivotal trade the two teams made during this season and was confused.

“Why did they trade for OG (Anunoby) then lol,” a fan wrote.

When will the WNBA Toronto team begin play?

Despite the protest from the Knicks owner, the team was approved. The Toronto WNBA franchise does not have a name yet. The team will begin play in 2026.

The team will play in the historic building now known as the Coca-Cola Coliseum. The building first opened in 1920 and also hosts the AHL minor league hockey team Toronto Marlies. The arena holds 8,500 people.

The Toronto team will be the first WNBA team outside the United States. It will be owned by Larry Tanenbaum. He is a minority owner of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment company, which owns the NHL's Maple Leafs and NBA's Raptors.

The 13th WNBA will be the Golden State Valkyries, who will debut next season in 2025.

The new team marks a huge milestone for the WNBA as it expands into another country. Many expected Toronto as a potential location for an expansion team. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert mentioned Philadelphia, Nashville, South Florida and Denver as other potential new franchises.