The Toronto Tempo are up against it. As the first-ever WNBA franchise in Canada, the Tempo are embarking on a rapid build to be ready for their inaugural season. Their first regular-season game is fast approaching.
Monica Wright Rogers, the team’s general manager, is leading the charge. The task is to assemble a marketable and competitive team to represent Canada. The team had no players on its roster less than three weeks before that first game on May 8.
Tempo Face Tight Timeline
The Tempo’s situation mirrors that of the resurrected Portland Fire. Both teams are operating on a condensed timeline as part of the WNBA’s expansion plans for 2026. The league hopes to add three more expansion clubs by 2030. These expansions will reportedly bring in a total of $750 million in expansion fees.
Being the sole Canadian team places unique demands on the Tempo. The team is expected to draw nationwide curiosity. It also puts them at the forefront of the WNBA’s global ambition.
The Pressure to Perform
Marina Mabrey, an eighth-year guard selected in the expansion draft, acknowledges the pressure. She was selected sixth overall in the expansion draft held April 3. The draft was designed to give the two new teams the basis for rosters, plucked from existing WNBA franchises.
According to Mabrey, there are high expectations. The players are aware of them. She said that no one wants to be the first expansion team to be getting their asses kicked.
Building a Team From Scratch
The Tempo has been figuring out its identity for a while. Toronto officially became a WNBA expansion franchise on December 4, 2024. This came after paying the league a $50 million entry fee. The team is backed by Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of Maple Leaf Sports.
The Tempo will get grace for trying to be everything to everyone in basically a month. But they also don’t really have time for grace in the first place.