5 years on, HoopQueens basketball league thrives on providing opportunity for female athletes

CBC

15 hours ago

Five years after its inception, Toronto's first-ever paid women's sports league is witnessing unprecedented success.
HoopQueens, which played its inaugural season in 2022, now has 40 athletes across four teams, and hosts games at the University of Toronto — an upgrade from its previous venue at Humber College.
The mastermind behind the league, Keesa Koomalsingh, says that this season she's finally sitting back and enjoying all that she's created.
"I'm really stepping back and witnessing and really soaking in that this is the impact that we're making," Koomalsingh told CBC Sports.
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"We have built a true, authentic, genuine community that supports and has seen us grow from year one to now year five."
The 2025 HoopQueens championship game will stream on CBC Sports Youtube Channel on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET
The league was initially founded as a way to create opportunities for women to continue their basketball careers following post-secondary education, and has now expanded to offer mentorship and professional development as well.
Keeping homegrown basketball talent in Canada as opposed to going overseas to play, is also one of the main pillars of the league.
"That's the goal every year," Koomalsingh said. "How do we kind of get better and revolutionize women's basketball and the opportunities that it has here in Canada and across the world?"
Time is now for women's basketball
A lot has changed in the world of women's sports since the launch of HoopQueens.
Women's basketball alone has grown immensely in popularity, both the NCAA and WNBA are seeing increased viewership as big streaming deals improve accessibility and drive popularity.
For a grassroots organization that requires funding from donors and sponsors to remain operational, Koomalsingh says the biggest shift she's seen in recent years is in opportunities to receive investment dollars.
When the league started in 2022, Koomalsingh says the only goal was to get the players paid, and everyone else involved was volunteering their time.
"We're really waking up the industry," Koomalsingh said.
"Larger organizations [and] smaller organizations are really starting to pay attention to women's sports and really put their money where their mouth is and support it."
Now, some of the league's partners include TikTok, Foot Locker, RedBull, Canada Basketball and the CBC.
Toronto a growing women's basketball hub
When Koomalsingh heard the news that Toronto would be getting its first WNBA franchise, the Toronto Tempo, she said it was "surreal."
"I don't think it's going to feel real until I actually step into the stadium and watch the game," she said.
"I'm finally happy that there's another professional league here in Canada, where young girls can see themselves and say, 'Hey, I want to get to that position,' whether it's HoopQueens or Tempo."
While the Tempo will be significantly bigger than HoopQueens, there's room for everyone, and both leagues contribute to a greater ecosystem for women's basketball in Canada.
"I want to really be a part of a safe space that we're creating as a community. I really think that community aspect is why we're so successful," Koomalsingh said.
On Sunday, the HoopQueens 2025 season championship game will take place at 4:30 p.m. ET when the Reign take on the Tide at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.
"If you are in the gym itself, the energy is so different, because you're witnessing history, and you're witnessing women go forth in their journey," she said.