(Reuters) - Canada will host a Women's National Basketball Association pre-season game for a second consecutive year as the Los Angeles Sparks will face the Seattle Storm in Edmonton on May 5, the league said on Thursday.
The exhibition, which is designed to grow the popularity of the league outside the United States, will be played about a year after the inaugural WNBA Canada Game was held in Toronto in front of a sold-out crowd
"We couldn't be more excited to bring the Sparks and Storm to Edmonton after last year's historic game in Toronto, which showcased the incredible momentum around women's basketball across Canada," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a news release.
The announcement of the Edmonton game comes amid recent reports this week that Canadian businessman Larry Tanenbaum is pursuing a WNBA expansion team for Toronto.
The Edmonton game will mark only the fourth WNBA exhibition held outside the United States, following last year's game in Toronto and games in Monterrey, Mexico, and Manchester, England, that were held in 2004 and 2011, respectively.
Among those on the current roster of the three-time WNBA champion Sparks is recently acquired Canadian standout Kia Nurse, while the four-time champion Storm boast 2023 league scoring leader Jewell Loyd among their players.
"One of Canada's greatest basketball players, Sparks guard Kia Nurse, is returning to play in front of her Canadian fans," said Sparks Co-Owner and Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson.
"Showcasing some of the league's top talent in Canada is a great opportunity to continue building dedicated WNBA fans outside of the U.S. Last year's game was a sellout and I expect nothing less for the Sparks versus Storm!"
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
