Toronto Received Nearly Unanimous Approval for WNBA Save For One Vote

Only the New York Knicks voted against Toronto receiving a new WNBA team as the organization continues its lawsuit against the Toronto Raptors

Mar 27, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) dribbles the ball against the Toronto Raptors in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Toronto nearly received unanimous approval for a WNBA expansion team set to begin operations in 2026.

The WNBA board reportedly voted 13-0 in favor of Toronto while the NBA's Board of Governors voted 29-1, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The lone holdout was from the New York Knicks who continue to sue the Toronto Raptors over "theft of propriety information."

The Knicks have been engaged in this lawsuit against Toronto since before the NBA season began this year. It stems from allegations that Toronto hired a former Knicks employee Ike Azotam who New York says stole proprietary information from the Knicks to the benefit of the Raptors organization last offseason.

First-year Raptors coach Darko Rajaković is among those named in the lawsuit and has denied any wrongdoing.

The Raptors have insisted the lawsuit is "baseless" and a "public relations stunt" by the Knicks and team owner James Dolan and Toronto has asked NBA commissioner Adam Silver to settle the dispute.

The dispute — the first of its kind in the NBA — has yet to be resolved.

The two teams did, however, engage in a trade this past season that saw OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn traded to the Knicks in exchange for Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and the No. 31 pick in this year's NBA draft.

Toronto and the Kilmer Sports Ventures, an organization owned by Larry Tanenbaum, were officially awarded the new team Thursday morning by WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. The team has yet to be named and does not have a color scheme yet.