Oakdale Community Centre gets the WNBA treatment with refurbished court
Community centre’s basketball court has been upgraded with new artwork, nets and equipment
Before the WNBA comes to Toronto next year, the league and Maybelline New York have come together to refurbish a community basketball court in the city's Jane and Finch neighbourhood.
On Saturday, officials from the league and cosmetics company were on hand to unveil new nets, equipment and artwork in the basketball court of the Oakdale Community Centre. Kids from the community were also out to take part in training and check out the new and improved court.
The upgrades were intended to help grow the game, and give kids in the community a better place to play, said Cheryl Sebastian, an executive with Canada's National Basketball Association.
"Basketball has such a powerful way of uniting people," she said.
Sebastian said the facility improvements are about "giving a safe space for our fans to play, uniting them and promoting self-confidence."
The unveiling comes just ahead of the start of the 2025 WNBA season, one year before the Toronto Tempo's inaugural season.
Artist Erika Flores said she designed the new murals in the gym in part as an inspiration for girls to feel empowered when playing in their community centre.
"We wanted to create something that … reflects the community out here, and it reflects the growth of basketball, especially women's basketball," she said. "So that's why you see a lot of diverse figures and vibrant colours."
Maybelline New York executive Audrey Fregeau said she wants the upgrades to help inspire young athletes who use the facility, and make the neighbourhood proud.
"We have worked with the community to come up with that artwork, which we see brings a lot of power. We have brave words that are on the walls to make sure that they can be strong when they are here and they can really express themselves and be themselves," she said.
The unveiling and ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday was followed by a basketball clinic and a training session — developed with Kids Help Phone — on how to support someone experiencing mental health challenges.
With files from Tyler Cheese