Canadian fans will finally be getting a taste of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) next year when the Toronto Tempo make their debut. It’s been a long time coming, so let’s take a look at everything you need to know about the brand-new Toronto Tempo.
On May 13, 2023, the WNBA held a preseason exhibition game between the Minnesota Lynx and the Chicago Sky at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The sold-out crowd of 19,923 fans was the most ever at a WNBA preseason game, which also broke viewership and merchandise records.
Toronto’s enthusiasm toward Canada’s first WNBA game led to speculation on whether the city could host a women’s team alongside the existing Toronto Raptors men’s team.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) chairman Larry Tanenbaum had initially pursued a WNBA expansion through MLSE, but board members turned it down. However, they also weren’t opposed to Tanenbaum trying to make a WNBA bid happen on his own through Kilmer Sports Ventures.
After the positive reception for the WNBA’s inaugural Canada game, the league announced that the Los Angeles Sparks and the Seattle Storm would play a preseason exhibition game on May 5, 2024, at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Edmonton is not only the current home of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) world no. 5 Canadian National women’s program, but was also the home of the Edmonton Grads — Canada’s first professional women’s basketball team. With such a rich women’s basketball history, the sold-out crowd of 16,655 fans brought electric energy to Edmonton and got the taste of women’s basketball that many have been dreaming of.
With the appetite for a Canadian WNBA franchise clearly there, it’s no surprise that a few weeks after their second exhibition game, the league announced that it would be expanding to Canada. The league awarded Toronto a team, the first outside of the U.S., set to begin play in the 2026 season as the WNBA’s 14th franchise.
“Today is a game-changing day not only for women’s basketball but also for sports in Canada,” said Tanenbaum in a press release last May. “This franchise will be Canada’s team, and we are so excited to unite the country and inspire pride and passion in fans from coast to coast.”
The team was set to primarily play out of the 8,700-seat Coca-Cola Coliseum, home to the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Toronto Marlies and the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s (PWHL) Toronto Sceptres. Tanenbaum has said that the team will also play home games elsewhere in Canada, helping to showcase the WNBA and grow women’s basketball.
After the team’s announcement, the franchise issued a “call for inspiration,” asking fans from across Canada to “share ideas, hopes and suggestions” for everything from the team’s name to its colours and identity.
The contest was called “Name Your Team” and ran from Aug. 8 to 28, 2024.
“We don’t just want to be WNBA Toronto,” said team president Teresa Resch in an interview with Global News. “We want to have a name and a logo and a colourway that means something to people, that people can have pride in. So we look forward to getting to that sooner rather than later.”
More than 10,000 submissions were sent in 20 days, and the team settled on a name designed to resonate in both English and French, appealing to fans living across Canada.
On Dec. 3, 2024, after months of speculation, screenshots began circulating on social media of a drop-down menu on the WNBA’s website referring to the Toronto team as the Tempo. There had been no official announcement of a name, leading to confusion amongst many.
The next afternoon, on Dec. 4, the team name, which had been deleted from the website at one point, briefly resurfaced next to a logo before being deleted again.
Earlier that day, sportslogos.net — a publication that covers professional sports team branding — posted images of a logo, saying it had been leaked to them by an “official WNBA source.” The logo matched the one posted on the WNBA website.
On Dec. 5, 2024, the league officially announced the name of the newest WNBA franchise: the Toronto Tempo.
“Tempo is pace. It’s speed. It’s a heartbeat. And it’s what you feel when you step into the streets of this city, and in the energy of the people who call Canada home,” said Resch in a press release. “As Canada’s WNBA team, I know the Tempo will set our own pace, move at a championship cadence, and inspire people across this country.”
In February 2025, Monica Wright Rogers was announced as the first general manager of the Toronto Tempo.
Rogers, who has a storied basketball career, played collegiate basketball for the University of Virginia. She was drafted second overall in the 2010 WNBA draft by the Minnesota Lynx and played for them for five years before being forced to retire due to injuries.
After her playing career ended, Rogers turned to coaching. She was an assistant coach at Liberty University during the 2018-19 season, and in May 2019, she was hired as an assistant coach for the Virginia Cavaliers women’s basketball team.
In January 2023, Rogers was hired as an assistant general manager for the Phoenix Mercury, before being hired by the Tempo just two years later.
The latest news to come out of an already exciting time for WNBA fans in Canada is that Serena Williams, one of the world’s most celebrated athletes, will be taking an ownership stake in the Toronto Tempo.
“I am thrilled to announce my ownership role in the first Canadian WNBA team, the Toronto Tempo,” said Williams in a press release in March. “This moment is not just about basketball; it is about showcasing the true value and potential of female athletes — I have always said that women’s sports are an incredible investment opportunity. I am excited to partner with Larry and all of Canada in creating this new WNBA franchise and legacy.”
The future of the Toronto Tempo is just beginning, and with demand for women’s sports surging, there is no better time to be a fan.