Meet the Toronto Tempo, the WNBA's first expansion team in Canada

The Toronto WNBA expansion team has a name — Tempo.

The Tempo will begin play in 2026 as the league's 14th team and is the WNBA's first franchise outside the United States. An expansion franchise in Portland will also begin play that year as well.

“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,” Tempo President Teresa Resch said. “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.”

The team's name was chosen from thousands of submissions from fans across the nation and in 98 countries. It was purposefully designed to work in both French and English, creating an inclusive brand for fans across the country.

Resch said that there were a lot of good choices from the fans, including some that played off the NBA's Toronto Raptors. One that she said probably wouldn't have worked because of the team playing in the summer was the Polar Bears.


https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/meet-the-toronto-tempo-the-wnba-s-first-19961938.php