In this edition, we explore how women’s professional sports leagues are celebrating Pride Month through sport, community, and celebration. Next, we celebrate the return of Serena and Venus Williams to Wimbledon and spotlight the Canadian women competing on one of tennis’ biggest stages. We also take a look at the PWHL Draft and the Canadian players drafted this year. Lastly, we preview Setting The Tempo, a new docuseries offering a behind-the-scenes look at Canada’s first WNBA franchise, and dive into new findings from ParticipACTION’s 2026 Progress Report on physical activity among Canadian youth.

WOMEN’S PRO SPORT LEAGUES CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH

Across Canada, women’s professional sports leagues are continuing to use their platforms to celebrate inclusion and community.

The Northern Super League (NSL) and Toronto Tempo (WNBA) are hosting Pride-themed matches throughout the summer, creating opportunities for fans, athletes, and communities to come together through sport.

Several NSL clubs have already hosted Pride celebrations, including AFC Toronto and Ottawa Rapid FC. Additional Pride matches are scheduled throughout the season, including home games hosted by Halifax Tides FC, Montreal Roses FC, Vancouver Rise FC, and Calgary Wild FC.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Tempo will host their Play With Pride game on June 27.

These events continue a growing tradition across women’s sports, where leagues and teams are using sport as a platform to create welcoming environments and celebrate the diversity of their fan bases and communities. Tickets can still be purchased for the NSL Pride games here and Toronto Tempo Pride game here.

WILLIAMS SISTERS RETURN TO WIMBLEDON TOGETHER

One of the most iconic partnerships in sports is returning to the court.

Serena Williams and Venus Williams are set to compete in doubles at Wimbledon after receiving a doubles wildcard entry into the tournament. The appearance comes shortly after Serena announced her return to professional tennis, four years after her final match at the 2022 US Open.

Serena’s comeback began earlier this month when she partnered with Canadian rising star Victoria Mboko at the HSBC Championships in London. The pair won their opening match before Mboko was forced to withdraw due to injury.

The Williams sisters’ return adds even more excitement to a Wimbledon tournament that will feature strong Canadian representation. Four Canadian women are competing in this year’s event: Carson Branstine, Leylah Fernandez, Marina Stakusic, and Gabriela Dabrowski.

Wimbledon runs from June 29 to July 12. Stay tuned for more details around the match schedule.

nine canadians drafted in pwhl draft

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) held its 2026 Draft in Detroit, marking another major step forward for the rapidly growing league.

This year’s draft was the first to include the league’s four expansion franchises: PWHL Hamilton, PWHL San Jose, PWHL Detroit, and PWHL Las Vegas.

Canadian players were heavily featured throughout the event, with nine Canadians selected within the first three rounds. Among the notable selections were Jade Iginla to PWHL Hamilton, Tia Chan to PWHL San Jose, Brooke Disher to the Toronto Sceptres, and Avi Adam to the Montreal Victoire.

With expansion creating many new roster spots, more players than ever before now have the opportunity to pursue professional careers in women’s hockey.

The 2026-27 PWHL season is expected to begin in late November 2026.

TORONTO TEMPO DOCUSERIES TO TAKE FANS BEHIND THE SCENES

Toronto Tempo fans will soon get a closer look at the creation of Canada’s first WNBA franchise.

A new four-part ESPN docuseries, Setting The Tempo, will follow the building of the organization behind the scenes. Executive directors for the docuseries include Tempo investors Serena Williams, Masai Ujiri, and Lilly Singh, in addition to actor Ryan Reynolds, sand Good Morning America host, Robin Roberts.

The docuseries will highlight the executives responsible for launching the franchise. The project presents a unique opportunity for fans to better understand what it takes to build a professional women’s sports organization from the ground up and shines a spotlight on the women helping shape the future of basketball in Canada.

Stay tuned for more details.

new report highlights need to support girls in physical activity

A new ParticipACTION Progress Report is shining a spotlight on one of the biggest challenges facing youth sport and physical activity in Canada: keeping adolescent girls active.

The report provides updated findings on six key movement indicators, including overall physical activity, active play, active transportation, organized sport, sedentary behaviour, and sleep.

Among the most concerning findings, only 8% of girls aged 12 to 17 meet Canada’s recommended physical activity guidelines, compared to 33% of boys.

The report also identifies adolescence as a critical dropout period. Participation in organized sport declines during the transition from childhood to adolescence, with girls experiencing steeper drops than boys. Girls are also significantly less likely to maintain active play habits as they age.

Perhaps most concerning is that adolescent girls have not fully recovered from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, 21% of girls aged 12 to 17 met activity recommendations. Today, that number has fallen to just 8%.

ParticipACTION argues that addressing this challenge requires more than individual effort. The report calls for investments in affordable and inclusive programs, safe spaces to be active, youth-informed policies, and targeted initiatives specifically designed to support adolescent girls. The full report is available here.