Shireen Ahmed

As CBC Sports senior contributor Shireen Ahmed writes, there are still a lot of questions to be answered about the Toronto WNBA franchise, but it assures the opportunity for young fans and players, alike, to dream big and have a chance to shine on home soil.

In a jam-packed press conference at a swanky downtown hotel, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that the league had awarded its 14th team to the City of Toronto. Mayor Olivia Chow proclaimed May 23, 2024 as WNBA Day in Toronto, another cherry on this massively delectable metaphoric cake.

Imagine trying to keep your dream alive amidst massive displacement, death, trauma, facilities and equipment being decimated and your family and community fleeing from bombs falling. These are some of the things the Gaza Sunbirds have had to endure while training for the Paralympics.

As Canada, the reigning Olympics champions, head back to defend their title, there are nerves, excitement, and confidence. But the mood among Canadian fans and some in the soccer community is more tense.

The reality of the Paris Olympics is that gender parity doesn’t necessarily mean open to all women. Athletes who wear hijabs have been dreadfully left behind in all the excitement about women athletes and by the hosts who claim to be celebrating their existence.

Being a sports journalist doesn't mean I stop caring about the Olympics or turn to stone. It means I love where I live and am grateful to be able to participate in sports recreationally and cover them professionally.

The International Olympic Committee has touted its gender parity at the Paris Olympics, but it's treatment of an Afghan refugee shows its support of women comes with conditions.

One of the Paralympians leading his own revolution is 39-year-old Fadi Aldeeb, a shot putter from Gaza. Aldeeb is the only member of the Paralympic team from Palestine in Paris.

Since women started playing organized sport, and through the different iterations of many leagues, women have not only fought for their right to play, they have fought to be paid fairly, to not be abused, and for their identities to be respected. The latest battle is with FIFA and its sponsorship deal with Saudi Arabia's Aramco.

In addition to the skyrocketing prices of hotel rooms, inflated Uber rates and hysteria around her presence, Taylor Swift hugely affects the sports ecosystem around her. Whether or not skeptics want to admit it, her connection to sport creates a cultural impact that can not be denied.