Expansion To The North: Meet The WNBA's Newest Team
- Caitlyn Wagner
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Over the past few years, interest in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has been accentuated by star players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, but fans are now starting to tune in from cities beyond the 14 teams that previously encompassed the WNBA. The league recognized this and capitalized on the interest in the North: in May of 2024, they announced the Toronto Tempo, the first Canadian WNBA team.
The Team and Its City
The idea for a Toronto WNBA team stemmed from the city's interest. In 2023, the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx played an exhibition game at Scotiabank Arena, home of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Toronto Raptors. The sellout crowd prompted the league to consider an expansion to Toronto; and three years later, the Tempo are expected to tip off on Friday, May 8, 2026, at 7:30 PM ET against the Washington Mystics.
Though they are new, the franchise has already acquired important names in its leadership group. The most notable of these is Serena Williams, who was announced as a joint co-owner. In addition to adding Lily Singh and Monica Wright Rogers to the ownership group, in November of 2025, it was announced that Sandy Brondello would serve as the team’s first head coach. Brondello brings both playing and coaching expertise to the team, as she was a WNBA player for 12 years and has served as the head coach for Australia’s National Basketball team. We’re sure the city of Toronto is excited to see what she can do!
The Schedule and Games To Look Out For
Season tickets went on sale in late 2025 and were sold out by December, but despite the incredible enthusiasm, fans had to wait until early 2026 for the season schedule. Announced January 21st, the Tempo’s season stretches across 44 regular-season games, with their home opener against the Washington Mystics, and their regular season finishing on the road vs. the Connecticut Sun. Additionally, in accordance with the league’s All-Star Break, the team has July 21-27th off.
There are a few more exciting games that should be on Tempo fans’ radars. The weekend of July 10-12th, the team will play the Dallas Wings and the New York Liberty at Bell Centre in Montreal. The 21,000-seat arena is home to the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Montreal Canadiens, and is poised to be one of the biggest crowds at a WNBA game in history.
The Tempo are also set to play two games at Rogers Arena, home of the NHL Vancouver Canucks. These games are set for August 21st against the Portland Fire and August 23rd against the Las Vegas Aces, and are also expected to draw a crowd as Rogers Arena seats about 19 700 people, and is notorious for showing up for women’s sports.
Back in Toronto, the Tempo are set to play twice in Scotiabank Arena, home of the NBA's Toronto Raptors. The first of these games comes on July 30th when the Tempo hosts the Minnesota Lynx, and the second is August 10th, when they welcome Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever to Toronto. Scotiabank Arena serves as the primary venue for not only the Raptors, but also the Toronto Maple Leafs, the city’s NHL team. It seats about 19,000 fans, and as the biggest ‘home’ venue the Tempo have on the schedule this season, July 30th and August 10th should both be dates circled on your calendar if you’re a Tempo fan!
In general, while the 2026 WNBA season is being overshadowed by ongoing board arguments, let’s try to stay optimistic. The Tempo are a great addition to the league, and along with bringing representation North of the border, they also bring great coaching talent and even better fans. We’re rooting for their success and cannot wait to tune in. We’ll see you there!
Edited by Olivia Feldgus
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