The WNBA’s newest expansion team officially welcomed fans into the mix over a weekend-long activation.
The 365-day countdown to the Toronto Tempo officially joining the WNBA is on, and the team celebrated big over the weekend. Tempo Live, a multi-day activation designed to bring the community together, introduce the city to the team, and get fans excited, seemed to be a huge success. Fans had the opportunity to purchase merchandise, participate on the court, and attend various talks designed to bring together different aspects of the sport and community.
It all started Friday night with a toast to the team, one year before they will officially hit the court. Tempo President Teresa Resch was joined by newly announced co-owner and “Chief Hype Officer” Lilly Singh, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, and Toronto Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik, who all shared their excitement at the growth of women’s sport in the city of Toronto. Guests could check out the activities put on, including the signing of a banner that will eventually hang in Coca-Cola Collesseum when the Tempo start to play.
Despite the on-and-off rain all weekend, the event seemed to go pretty smoothly on Saturday and Sunday. The one talk I was able to catch was the Basketball x Fashion panel, hosted by Makeway Co. founders Abby Albino and Shelby Weaver. They spoke on the importance of inclusion when trying to push the limits of fashion in the sports world. A traditionally male space, everyone on the panel had a unique perspective on how we can not only include women in the world, but also empower them to have the confidence to take it as their own.
Other talks included one on the intersection of basketball and food, and basketball and art as well. Local artists had stations around Stackt Market where they were working on pieces live for fans to watch.
The other big component was the Tempo Court, where they held a variety of activities all weekend. Lay-Up Basketball, a foundation that removes barriers for youth to be involved in basketball, held a skills session on the court, and later in the day, groups could reserve the space to play games of pick-up.
It was the first time that the team and the community came together to celebrate this new era of basketball in Toronto. The events were curated in a way that brought many people who have been building the women’s sports identity of this city long before the WNBA awarded us a team together. It was a way for the fans to come and interact with various members of the team’s staff and see changemakers in action in a variety of different ways. For me, it was a reminder that the basketball community in Toronto is rich and diverse, and filled with people who have such compelling stories to tell, no matter what their medium is.
It was one of the first times the fact that Toronto is getting a WNBA team felt real. As someone who has been hoping (and let’s be real, actively campaigning) for this team for a long time, it felt like the beginning of a celebration that will last years. It was nice to be able to engage in the women’s basketball community in person, instead of having to watch while my American colleagues have all the fun in their markets. A basketball team is nothing without its fans — they create the identity of the team — and being able to see them show up for this team for the first time was special.
It doesn’t stop here, either. Things are about to pick up big time for the Toronto Tempo as we head into the 365-day countdown. The team’s staff is growing, and will continue to grow as the summer goes on. A head coach will likely be hired before the current WNBA season finishes, if not shortly after, to allow that coach time to settle before the Draft Lottery and Expansion Draft take place (likely in December). From there, free agency will be pandemonium in January as the WNBA will see about 2⁄3 of players become free agents as the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires and a new one is hopefully signed soon.
In the short term, a lot of exciting things will happen with the team as well, including the negotiation for Canadian broadcast rights, and the continuation of identity building for the team (mascots, anyone?), court and jersey designs, and more.
Things are ramping up for the Toronto Tempo, and before you know it, we will be cheering on the team inside the arena.