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

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.

WATCH | Koomalsingh talks about the importance of creating opportunities:

'The shift is here': HoopQueens founder talks equity in women's basketball

"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?"

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