The Toronto Tempo is the 14th franchise to be added to the WNBA and the only one with a unique opportunity that no other team (in the history of the league) can claim. The Tempo is the first WNBA team in Canada, and will play across the country to be able to reach as many fans as possible.
That's a really special reality that the Tempo will also be able to hang on to at least until 2030. The newest WNBA teams include the Portland Fire, which also make its debut in 2026 alongside the Tempo, as well as upcoming teams in Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Detroit.
The Tempo are being described as "Canada's team"
Emphasizing the fact that the Tempo represent all of Canada — as opposed to other WNBA teams, which all represent regions, cities, or states in the United States — has been a major part of the team's marketing strategy so far. "This team is Canada's team," Tempo owner Larry Tanenbaum said in May 2024.
Tanenbaum, who also owns the Raptors, has been instrumental in bringing the WNBA to Canada. He's joined by team president Teresa Resch, who previously told ESPN, "The impact that the Tempo is going to have on women's basketball is going to be exponential. I think you can look at what happened with the Raptors 30 years ago. The 'Vince Carter effect.' You hear those kids talk about -- they're not kids anymore, they're very talented young men playing basketball and representing our country really well on the international stage -- the representation is huge. The fact that you can see it, you can be it."
Resch has the professional experience to help the Tempo as the team grows and prepares to mark its identity all over Canada. She helped the Raptors do the same thing, ESPN noted. The NBA team spent its first preseason in Ontario before heading to training camp in Vancouver. Resch became part of the Raptors' front office in 2013 and immediately implemented more plans to get the team in front of as many Canadians as possible. Clearly, that's a strategy that has worked.
More Canadian teams could be added to the WNBA... eventually
It's unclear if there's enough interest to add more Canadian teams to the WNBA — yet. The success of the Tempo will likely serve as both inspiration and a blueprint for anyone else who might be interested in making a WNBA bid of their own. But it's unlikely Canada will gain any more teams before 2030, as there are already several on the docket.