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The National Basketball Association (NBA), Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) and the City of Toronto today unveiled the newly restored Don Mount Court (DMC) in Toronto\u2019s downtown community of Rivertowne, marking the first official Women\u2019s National Basketball Association (WNBA)-themed court in Canada. The court design \u2013 which features the iconic logos of the WNBA and DFO\u2019s youth lifestyle brand MilkUP \u2013 was created by local Toronto illustrator Fiorella Granda to celebrate women\u2019s basketball in Canada and around the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cDFO is committed to supporting local communities across Ontario through MilkUP, our youth lifestyle brand, and together with the NBA we have proudly created the first WNBA-themed outdoor court in the country,\u201d said Cheryl Smith, Chief Executive Officer at DFO. \u201cWe hope the Riverdale neighbourhood and all communities are able to enjoy the court that visually celebrates women\u2019s basketball and provides an inclusive space for young girls who want to learn and play the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe amazing upgrade to this popular basketball court provides an exciting new space for Rivertowne community youth and others to enjoy playing the game while encouraging young girls and women to join the game and to be proud of their ongoing contributions to the sport,\u201d City of Toronto Councillor Paula Fletcher (Toronto-Danforth).<\/p>\n
To celebrate the collaboration and court unveiling, the non-profit organization Buckets & Borders hosted an immersive event for fans that featured a basketball clinic for youth in the community, fun activations, live music from a local DJ, and a basketball competition featuring Hoop Queens, a network for Canadian female basketball players. The event builds on MilkUP\u2019s efforts to bring unique community-driven experiences to local neighbourhoods across Ontario to empower youth on and off the court, while highlighting dairy\u2019s nutritional benefits.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe couldn\u2019t have asked for a better reception to the first WNBA game in Canada from local fans, partners and the larger basketball community and we\u2019re thrilled to team up with the Dairy Farmers of Ontario on this legacy project in celebration of women\u2019s basketball in the country,\u201d said Leah MacNab, Sr. VP, NBA Canada. \u201cThis court symbolizes the passion and enthusiasm for basketball across Canada and we can\u2019t wait to see Rivertowne\u2019s community members utilize this court for years to come.\u201d <\/p>\n
The first WNBA Canada Game presented by Tangerine featuring the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx was held on May 13, 2023, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto in front of nearly 20,000 fans. The first WNBA game ever held in Canada set league records for attendance, viewership and merchandise sales. Nineteen marketing partners from across Canada, including DFO, supported the game through fan activations, digital marketing, out of home assets, TV commercials, ticket giveaways, merchandise and community clinics. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","industry_resources_cat":[527],"class_list":["post-11531","industry-resources","type-industry-resources","status-publish","hentry","industry_resources_cat-industry-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n