ESPN reporter Holly Rowe was visibly moved to tears Tuesday night while covering the WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and the Toronto Tempo at Scotiabank Arena. Rowe, who has covered sports for ESPN for nearly three decades, shared a video on Instagram expressing her overwhelming emotion at the turnout for the game in Toronto.
"Okay, I’m trying to work a basketball game tonight and I keep crying because look what they built in Canada," Rowe said in the video, panning to a nearly full lower bowl of spectators. She noted her deep pride in witnessing the league's expansion and success, stating, "Growing women’s basketball and the @wnba is a passion in my life." The game reportedly had a sold-out crowd of 19,300 fans.
Toronto and the Portland Fire are among the WNBA's two expansion teams that debuted in 2026. The league, now in its 30th year of play, has expanded to 15 teams. The Golden State Valkyries were added in 2025 and are set to host the 2027 WNBA All-Star Game. Future expansion teams are slated to begin play in Cleveland in 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030.
Rowe's career at ESPN began in 1998, following earlier appearances on ESPN and ABC Sports broadcasts. She has covered a wide range of sports and earned a 2022 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Personality/Reporter, along with multiple Emmy nominations. She was also recognized with the 2023 Curt Gowdy Electronic Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.