The WNBA’s newest expansion franchise officially has both a name and logo as the Toronto front office announced that they would be known as the Toronto Tempo moving forward.
“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,” team president Teresa Resch said in a news 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.”
“Tempo reflects what fans can expect from this team — including, of course, the in-game experience at the arena,” Resch continued. “The sounds of the court. The beat of the music. The passion of the fans around you and the intensity of the players on the floor. Capturing all that energy, excitement and feeling was crucial as we chose the name for Canada’s WNBA team.”
News about the league’s 14th team’s potential name appeared to leak prematurely on the WNBA website as keen eyed observers noticed a 15th team labelled “Toronto Tempo” briefly appearing in one of the drop down menus. This sparked a flurry of online debate regarding the name, and whether the club would indeed be known as the “Tempo” or whether that was simply a web designer’s way of marking a “temporary” holding place for the team.
In the end, it would indeed be the Tempo monicker which will represent the league’s first foray beyond the borders of the U.S. Some have come out praising the name and design, while others have had less than enthusiastic reactions to the announcement.
Across social media, fans have compared the logo to the New Balance logo, a Frankensteined version of the Indiana Pacers design, or worse. Some have taken umbrage with the fact that a design firm was hired to create the lettering which looks like a normal font that’s been italicized.
However in the end, one has to remember that rarely when a sports team unveils a new logo, re-design or launches an expansion franchise is all of the feedback positive. Even the team’s NBA counterpart has taken its fair share of ridicule for the Raptors namesake and monicker (originally named at the height of the Jurassic Park fever in North America). However their recently released city City Edition uniforms featuring the throwback purple designs and red raptor were almost universally praised by hoops fans around the league.
As with most things, time will tell whether the Tempo brand will grow on fans, or whether it could go the way of the Charlotte Bobcats.
The Tempo are owned and operated by Kilmer Sports Ventures, which has holdings that include the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and MLS’ Toronto FC. They will begin league play in 2026.
Photo: WNBA via X.