WNBA's Toronto Tempo will be 'Canada's team,' president says, as 1-year countdown begins
As Toronto Tempo begins the one-year countdown to its inaugural tip off with a weekend of celebrations, the president of Canada's first WNBA franchise said she hopes the team will draw hundreds of thousands of fans from coast to coast.
"We have the opportunity to create something really unique and really special for the first team outside of the U.S.," said Teresa Resch.
"We're truly going to be Canada's team."
Tempo fans gathered in Toronto Saturday to play basketball and attend panels exploring the game's cultural impact in celebration of the one-year mark before the opening game.
STACKT Market is hosting an event this weekend near Bathurst and Front Street W. that will allow fans to "interact with the Tempo brand" for the first time, Resch said.
The event is running from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Fans can play basketball and check out a merch pop-up store.
There will also be three panels a day, touching on subjects that include how food, fashion and art intersect with basketball, Resch said.
Speakers will include Monica Rogers, the team's general manager, and Lily Singh, a part-owner and Canadian media star who is also the team's chief hype officer.
Resch said 19 people are currently working for the team, which will go up to 50 by tip off — including a full coaching staff and medical team.
Players will join the team through the expansion draft, college draft and free agency in the lead-up to next year's season, she said.
"Our mission is to win championships and prove that women' s basketball is an incredible business," Resch said. "I think we're well on our way."
Women's basketball 'changing the culture'
Among those at Saturday's event was Brey Johnson, head coach for Lay-Up, a Toronto charity that provides free basketball programming for children.
The U.S. has rallied around women's basketball recently, Johnson said, and she thinks the enthusiasm will spill over north of the border.
"Women's basketball right now is having a movement. It's really changing the culture," she said.
More girls are getting involved in the sport, and boys who don't play with girls are noticing more and more that "women can ball too," she said.
Johnson said she's always wanted to live in a city with a WNBA team. She said she expects the first game will be "very special," with people from all communities in the city coming out to support the team.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Post
a minute ago
- National Post
Harris throws for two TDs as Roughriders hold off Fajardo, Elks 21-18
REGINA — The first-place Saskatchewan Roughriders are finding ways to win despite the lack of a killer instinct. Article content The Riders, who improved to 6-1 with a 21-18 victory over the Edmonton Elks on Friday, have had the propensity this season to take an early lead but then allow their opponents to get back into the game. That's exactly what happened against the Elks as the Riders held a comfortable 21-4 lead after the third quarter only to take their foot of the gas and find themselves having to fend off a late Edmonton comeback. Article content Article content Article content Quarterback Trevor Harris was visibly frustrated with the Riders failing to put the Elks away when they had the chance. Article content 'There's obviously some positive things to take away, but I'm sure you guys could probably guess that I'm not happy with the way that we finished the game offensively. You know, if you want to be a championship-calibre team, you've got to put the nail in the coffin and we didn't do that,' said Harris, who completed 25 of his 33 passes for 268 yards with a pair of touchdowns on the night. Article content 'But that being said, I think this is a team that can take a look in the mirror and get better. It's not like, 'We don't have the guys' or 'We're screwed.' It's just one of those things. We've got to take a look in the mirror and be better toward the end of the game. And we will, you can mark my words.' Article content Riders head coach Corey Mace, while sharing some of his quarterback's frustration, also sees glimmers of hope from his players. Article content 'We can talk about it all we want, we can talk situational football, about having a killer instinct and what to expect in certain situations but ultimately, the players win games. There were a couple of plays tonight where I'm going to look back and think I should have called something better defensively. And yet they made the play look unbelievable, you know? They have that talent, man. So, if we get a call, that's awesome, and they can also be unbelievable. That's where we've got to go, we've got to continue to grow,' said Mace. Article content Article content 'We just kind of continue to work at that stuff. I don't know if it's physical or mental or if it's a lack of focus. Maybe we're not coaching it hard enough, we could look in the mirror from that standpoint. So, everybody will continue to do it.' Article content The Elks, who are now 1-5, made a change at starting quarterback this week, replacing Tre Ford with veteran Cody Fajardo. The Edmonton offence struggled to find a rhythm, especially in the third quarter when they were held to four yards of total offence in three possessions. Article content 'I think the thought that comes to mind is our defence and how they got off the field. We had the ball around midfield, and then we went two and out, and that crushed us,' said Fajardo, who was dealt to the Elks in the off-season after two seasons with the Montreal Alouettes. 'There was another one of those sacks where it was a run-pass option. I pulled it, I tried to pull up and make a throw, and their defensive ends are athletic and made a good play. If I hand off the ball there, who knows what happens? It was just a terrible read by me, and I've got to be better for this team.'
CTV News
a minute ago
- CTV News
A milestone celebration on Sask. golf course
Regina Watch WATCH: A birthday celebration for a 100-year-old man who still golfs every day was held on Friday. Mick Favel has the story.
CTV News
31 minutes ago
- CTV News
Wilderness Traverse, adventure race draws hundreds to Sudbury
Sudbury hosts two adventure races this weekend: the 24+ hour Wilderness Traverse championship and the beginner-friendly Apex Adventure Challenge. Sudbury hosts two adventure races this weekend: the 24+ hour Wilderness Traverse championship and the beginner-friendly Apex Adventure Challenge. Hundreds will navigate rugged terrain using only maps and compasses, with live tracking available online. Hundreds of adventurers will be in the Sudbury region this weekend for two endurance races, including one that's more than 24 hours non-stop. Competitors Two previous competitors in a past Wilderness Traverse race are shown in this promotional image. (Supplied/Wilderness Traverse) On Saturday, 74 teams or more than 220 racers from all across Canada and parts of the U.S. are participating in the Wilderness Traverse, the 2025 Adventure Racing World Series North America Championship. Teams of three will hike, paddle and bike their way through an unmarked course using only maps and compasses, making their way to the finish line at Laurentian University. It takes between 24 and 30 hours to complete. The other race is the inaugural Apex Adventure Challenge, where 30 teams will participate in a more beginner-friendly and much shorter event on Sunday. It's between three and six hours and will be confined within the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area. 'I'm excited to have teams come and experience the wilderness of our region,' said Dennis Legault, founder of Apex Warrior Gym in Sudbury. 'Working with experienced organizers like the Wilderness Traverse team for this new event will help create just the right kind of safe, challenging adventure I know Sudbury athletes will love.' For the past 15 years, the Wilderness Traverse event has been held all over Ontario's Cottage Country. This is the first time the event has come north for the course. 'The topography is amazing. It really suits the event,' said Sudbury's Wilderness Traverse race director, Bob Miller. 'The final leg we're going to have here through Lake Laurentian Conservation Area is really one of the more unique stages we've ever hosted.' Bob Miller Bob Miller, Sudbury's Wilderness Traverse race director, talks with CTV News ahead of the race on July 25, 2025. (Angela Gemmill/CTV News Northern Ontario) 'Even just driving around the city, we were all commenting on how it's not like your normal Southern Ontario grid. You've got amazing winding streets, and all this elevation gain and loss. It's a really neat city and it really suits the event,' Miller added. The youngest participant is 16 while the oldest is in their 60s. Miller told CTV News that they're 'outdoorsy men and women that have participated in sport, probably have some outdoors background with canoe tripping or mountain biking.' 'Once they're 5 to 6 hours in then they're going to really start feeling the endurance fatigue and they're going to be tired and a bit cranky,' Miller said of the participants. 'A bit part of this sport is staying positive. You know it's going to be tough. Everyone knows they're going to go through these lulls out on the course, but if the team can remain positive and just keep moving forward that will be a big help to get them to the finish line.' The course is kept secret until the morning the longer adventure event starts. Teams will each have a satellite tracking beacon so their locations can be followed online 'They're not allowed to know where their location is. They're only using map and compass, but the rest of the world will be able to see where they are and they can track them,' Miller said. The winning team wins a free entry to the World Championship in France next year.
