With grassroots leadership, global investment, and a rising women’s sports economy, the Toronto Tempo’s arrival in the WNBA reflects the city’s deep basketball roots and its bold vision for the future of women’s sports.
When I touched down in Toronto on a recent press trip with Destination Toronto, I wasn’t just visiting another major city. I was stepping into a cultural moment — one that reflects how Toronto has quickly positioned itself as one of the most dynamic homes for women’s sports globally.
The WNBA’s arrival with the Toronto Tempo isn’t just timely; it felt inevitable. To celebrate the Tempo joining the W next season, the city hosted Tempo Live, a fan event, along with a weekend of programming and activations marking one year out from the franchise’s inaugural season.
Toronto has been building toward this moment for years. The city has already proven its appetite and infrastructure for professional women’s sports. The Toronto Sceptres (formerly the Toronto Six) have sold out back-to-back seasons in the PWHL. The Northern Super League debuted this past April, adding professional women’s soccer to the city’s growing sports ecosystem. Now, with the Tempo’s launch, women’s basketball in Toronto takes center stage, backed by notable figures such as Serena Williams.
Canada’s Basketball Culture
Basketball’s roots in Canada run deep. Canadian-born James Naismith invented the sport, and Toronto’s basketball fandom has only grown since. The NBA’s only official restaurant, NBA Courtside, sits right in Toronto, reflecting a city that lives and breathes hoops. But this isn’t just about history — it’s about how Toronto is reshaping the future of the sport by building a front office led by women who know the game, have lived it, and are now helping to elevate it on a global stage.
“I’m just a basketball head,” said Monica Wright Rogers, General Manager of the Toronto Tempo. “I’m from the DMV area where a lot of hoopers come from, so we definitely take it seriously, and I just was blessed to be able to take basketball and let it just really mold my life and change the trajectory of my life.”
Wright Rogers shared a clear vision for the team, which is rooted in ensuring that Canadian culture remains at the forefront as the Tempo grows into a homegrown franchise that reflects the city’s talent, diversity, and basketball legacy. She said she envisions a future where Canadians not only fill the Tempo’s roster but also hold key leadership roles across the organization, from coaching to the front office, ensuring the franchise serves as both a platform and pipeline for developing the country’s deep pool of homegrown talent.
But community leaders like Nakissa Koomalsingh, founder of Toronto-based semi-pro women’s basketball league HoopQueens, have been laying the groundwork for this moment long before the WNBA officially arrived.
“I started off with runs [before] I noticed that something was missing in terms of women getting the opportunity to play after university,” Koomalsingh said. “I really wanted to prove that there is money in women’s basketball.”
Backed by corporate partnerships, HoopQueens has remained financially stable since its launch, a feat Koomalsingh set out to prove as she demonstrated that women’s basketball can be both profitable and sustainable. She also highlighted the importance of building a pipeline for future athletes, noting how the Junior HoopQueens program has continued to grow each year with the help of sponsors, allowing young girls to participate at no cost and focus on developing a love for the game in an increasingly expensive sport.
The Tempo’s arrival holds personal meaning for Cheryl Sebastian, Associate VP of Global Partnerships at NBA Canada, who grew up playing basketball in Toronto’s Rexdale neighborhood. Although she never pursued the sport professionally, her career has allowed her to help redefine how basketball is represented and grow within Canada. One thing Sebastian emphasized was the importance of representation.
“To have Monica, who looks like me and is in those rooms and carries herself with so much grace, is incredible, and to see Nakissa creating something with HoopQueens; this room doesn’t look like the rooms that I’m in 90% of the time,” Sebastian said.
Even the city’s sneaker culture, which I saw firsthand during visits to the Bata Shoe Museum’s Art/Wear exhibit and Makeway, reflects Toronto’s deep connection to basketball’s global influence. Art/Wear explored the relationship between sneakers, identity, and self-expression, underscoring how footwear has become deeply woven into basketball’s global culture. Makeway, a woman-owned sneaker boutique and community hub, is the first store of its kind in Canada, exclusively designed for women and by women, catering to the often-overlooked women’s sneaker community. The shop not only curates sought-after releases and collaborations but also serves as a platform for women creatives, athletes, and entrepreneurs, mirroring the same energy and representation that the WNBA and the Tempo plan to bring to the court.
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As the city prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches next summer and continues to attract global events, Toronto’s world-class venues and thriving entertainment economy offer the perfect launchpad for the WNBA’s first international expansion. Don Boyle, CEO of Exhibition Place, is overseeing the transformation of Coca-Cola Coliseum, where the Tempo will play their home games. Initially built in 1922 and modernized in 2003, the venue already serves as home to the American Hockey League affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto’s PWHL team. With seating for around 8,000 fans, the intimate arena offers an ideal setting for WNBA games, Boyle said.
“The phone calls I get for tickets to the Tempo already … it will be a solid arena with a ton of energy,” Boyle said. “We’re going to have a raucous crowd of moms, kids, men, and women coming to watch this, but in particular, the young women who are looking up to these heroes, and they’re going to be able to get a chance to watch it live.”
Canadian sportscaster Kate Beirness said the announcement of the Tempo felt long overdue, recalling how the energy inside Scotiabank Arena during the WNBA preseason game between the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx was the second loudest she had heard since the Raptors’ championship run. While she acknowledged the team may face early challenges, she emphasized that consistent effort, strong community ties, and fan engagement will be key to the Tempo’s long-term success. Toronto’s multicultural identity, Beirness added, only strengthens the franchise’s foundation as basketball continues to thrive across the city’s diverse neighborhoods.
“I think when it comes to basketball, it’s going to create this entire new next generation because if you can see it, you can be it,” she said.
As the Toronto Tempo prepares to take the court next season, the city stands as a blueprint for how women’s sports can thrive when given the stage they deserve, powered by passionate leadership, grassroots momentum, and a fan base ready to support the game at every level.
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