WNBA

WNBA reveals Tempo as team name for Toronto expansion team in 2026

The Tempo will join the league along with a still-unnamed Portland franchise in 2026.

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

The WNBA is officially going international, adding Toronto as the 14th franchise starting in 2026.

The WNBA has its newest team name: the Toronto Tempo.

Tempo was chosen as the Toronto franchise's identity after a public engagement program where more than 10,000 people weighed in before executives came to the final decision.

The branding was officially announced Thursday, with a logo and team colors but no uniforms just yet.

“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,” Toronto Tempo president Teresa Resch said 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.”

Canada's first WNBA team is set to begin play in 2026 as the league continues expanding. The Golden State Valkyries will join the league in 2025 and a Portland, Oregon, franchise will enter along with the Tempo the following year.

The first WNBA expansion draft since 2008 will take place on Friday, Dec. 6, and next year's with Toronto and Portland will be even bigger.

The Tempo, who are owned by Kilmer Sports Ventures, will play at Toronto’s Coca-Cola Coliseum.

On December 6, the WNBA will hold an expansion draft for the Golden State Valkyries, the league’s 13th franchise. Here’s everything you need to know.
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