Latest news with #TeresaResch
Forbes
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Power Of Asking: Women In Sports Rewrite The Rules
Teresa Resch (President, Tempo Basketball), Jess Smith (President, Golden State Valkyries), Amber ... More Cox (COO & GM, Indiana Fever), Clare Hamill (Interim President, WNBA Portland), and Colie Edison (Chief Growth Officer, WNBA) joined the FQ Lounge during WNBA All-Star. Sometimes, the only thing standing between you and a breakthrough is a single, daring question: 'Can we talk about this?' The worst-case scenario? You hear 'no.' The best-case scenario? You change everything. Just ask the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. After more than 60 years of being the heartbeat of game day, the cheerleaders finally had enough. In June 2025, shortly after Season 2 of the Netflix docuseries America's Sweethearts premiered, they secured a 400% pay increase. Not by chance, but by choice. Their signature 'Thunderstruck' routine had already become a cultural moment. This time, they sparked a movement. Change didn't happen by natural osmosis. It took intention. It took courage. It took a squad willing to speak up and stand together. Leaders like Jada Mott and Megan McElaney were among the first to say what many had been thinking. They asked for more, knowing the risks. And as Megan shared in the series: 'Our efforts were heard, and they wanted to give us a raise. And we ended up getting a 400% increase, which is, like, life-changing.' This wasn't just about money. It was about worth. About recognition. About respect. And this momentum isn't just on the sidelines. It's igniting across every arena, court, and field. In tennis, Billie Jean King was a courageous first. In 1973, she demanded equal prize money at the U.S. Open and made history. That was more than 50 years ago. While Grand Slams now offer equal pay, inequities still persist across the broader tour in media coverage, sponsorships, and week-to-week compensation. In the WNBA, the energy is electric. Athletes like Caitlin Clark, A'ja Wilson, and Sabrina Ionescu are packing stadiums, trending online, and selling out merchandise. At the WNBA All-Star Game this weekend, the message couldn't have been clearer: the world isn't just watching. Women are leading. As the Togethxr campaign declared: Everyone Watches Women's Sports. What began as a rallying cry has become a movement. Women in sports are no longer waiting for a seat at the table. They're building a new one. They're not trying to meet outdated standards. They are setting the new standard. This is what modern progress looks like: Because the right time to raise your voice isn't when someone else gives you permission. The right time is when you decide it is. So what's the lesson? If you don't ask, you'll never know. If you do? You might just spark a thunderclap, serve an ace, or slam dunk a moment of change.
CBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Golden example: Valkyries provide Tempo a template for WNBA expansion success
Social Sharing Nell Fortner is pleading patience. That's Canada's national women's basketball team head coach's advice for fans of the incoming Toronto Tempo, who will begin play in the WNBA next season. And Fortner would know — she was the head coach of the expansion Indiana Fever in 2000. "It was hard. I remember going on a 10-game losing streak … it was really, really hard. So you just have to be patient and just keep working your process, keep working your values and your culture," Fortner said. Even during her first training camp, Fortner had already crossed paths with Tempo president Teresa Resch and general manager Monica Wright Rogers. She recalled how her Fever struggled to a 9-23 record in their first year, but were rewarded at the subsequent entry draft with the pick of Tamika Catchings that helped turn the franchise's fortunes. Twenty-five years later, Fortner predicted less pain for the Tempo than she experienced with the Fever. "Here's what I told [Resch]," Fortner said. "Y'all are in a much better position now because the talent is so much better. And there's so much more of it. I mean, it's just a worldwide game right now. Golden State's talent is primarily international. I'm like, 'dang man, that wasn't like that [when I coached].'" WATCH | Tempo GM Monica Wright Rogers talks goals for 2026 season: Meet Monica Wright Rogers, the GM of the WNBA's newest team, the Toronto Tempo 5 months ago The newly hired Tempo general manager talks goals for the 2026 WNBA season and how she plans to build a championship-winning team. Indeed, the Golden State Valkyries — who entered the league this season — can provide hope and a template to the Tempo. The Valkyries came in as the first of six expansion franchises set to transform the WNBA into an 18-team outfit by 2030. Toronto and Portland will be next up in 2026, followed by Cleveland, Philadelphia and Detroit later in the decade. Exceeding expectations Golden State arrived with low expectations — and rightfully so, given that the league's previous four expansion teams, dating from 2000 to 2008, combined for a 24-108 record. ESPN's projection handed the Valkyries 15.7 wins. None of the U.S. sports media giant's experts predicted Golden State would make the playoffs. And yet, the leagues newest team sits 10-12 at the all-star break, right in the mix for a post-season spot. So how have they done it, and what lessons can the Tempo learn? Golden State's roster-building journey began in December with the expansion draft, where each of the existing teams were allowed to protect up to six players, leaving the other half open for selection. The Valkyries walked away with 11 players. "Our goal was to construct a roster that embodies both versatility and depth, bringing in a strong mix of leadership, defence and scoring ability," general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said. "These players were carefully chosen not only for their skills on the court, but also for their ability to fit into the culture we're working to build here at Golden State." Untapped international talent pool As Fortner alluded to, seven of those 11 players hailed from outside of the U.S. Halfway through the season, four of the top seven Valkyries players in minutes per game are international. "The international part ... that wasn't my mindset," head coach Natalie Nakase said. "It was building the best team that I wanted to build." Still, the non-Americans could provide opportunity as less recognized and more untapped in terms of potential. On the flip side, the Valkyries also selected Kate Martin from the Aces, who became known nationally during her time at Iowa as Caitlin Clark's sidekick. Martin was a sound business decision, but she has also proven to be a capable competitor, averaging 6.9 points per game on 36.5 per cent shooting from three-point range. For the Tempo, the box-office draw and international flair could be combined by bringing a Canadian into the fold. Golden State has used that exact strategy, with former first-rounder Laeticia Amihere providing impact as a rebounder and defender despite initially being cut from the opening-day roster. Amihere's fellow 2024 first-round pick Aaliyah Edwards could follow the same path. Despite a standout rookie season for the Washington Mystics, the Kingston, Ont., native has struggled to carve out a role this season, leading to the team reportedly seeking a trade to give her extra opportunity. With her situation surprisingly unsettled, Edwards seems likely to be available for the Tempo. Meanwhile, the most obvious draft choices have also been the most successful for Golden State. Point guard Veronica Burton, left unprotected by the Connecticut Sun, and forward Kayla Thornton, formerly of the New York Liberty, have played the most minutes for the Valkyries on the season. Burton has been hailed as a "natural leader" by Nakase — a key quality for an expansion team's floor general. At 24, she could grow into a face of the franchise as her career takes off in Golden State. Thornton, 32, is the Valkyries' lone all-star representative. The veteran provides championship experience, having won the title with New York last season, and leads the team in both scoring and rebounding. Wright Rogers held off on specifics when asked about her team-building philosophy at her introductory press conference in February. "I wanna make sure that I'm respectful to our future head coach and allowing them to shape that on-court product. But there are some obvious things that it takes to win in this league and our team will definitely be looking to have that," she said. Strategically, the Valkyries have prioritized pace and three-point shooting — two variables that can often help less talented teams overcome better opponents on paper. But Golden State doesn't seem to be a fluke — the team is seventh in the league in point differential. The Valkyries' biggest challenge moving forward may be a road-heavy schedule, since home court has been another key to success. The team is averaging a league-high 18,064 fans per game at the Chase Center, which is about double the Tempo's capacity at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Toronto fans will have waited a long time to fill those seats once the ball is finally tipped in May.
Global News
04-07-2025
- Business
- Global News
Full steam ahead for Toronto Tempo as WNBA team readies for inaugural season
With the 2025 WNBA season well underway, the debut of the Toronto Tempo is fast approaching and the month ahead promises to be a busy time for team president Teresa Resch. She recently hired the team's first general manager, Monica Wright Rogers, a move which will take some of the spotlight off of Resch, who has pretty much been the face of the franchise since MLSE chair Larry Tannenbaum was first awarded the franchise in May of 2024. 'When I got this job, I didn't realize I'd be getting to talk to so many people like yourself, journalists telling the story of the team, because I'd worked for the Raptors for 10 seasons, and it was always the players and the coach and even our GM who was telling the story about the Raptors,' Resch told Global News' Eric Sorensen. But team meetings remain pretty small for the Tempo as they still need to hire a coach and fill out the roster. Story continues below advertisement 'We'll have a coach probably at the end of the W' season in the fall, in October, November,' Resch offered. 'And then we'll have players starting in the wintertime. So we'll an expansion draft likely in December, January. We'll have free agency in January, and we'll (have) a college draft in April. So then those people will really be truly telling the Tempo story.' While the roster remains unfilled, a few famous female faces with wildly different backgrounds have bought into the team, including Serena Williams, Lilly Singh and Sukhinder Singh Cassidy. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'It's incredible to have that level of female leaders connected to our team,' Resch said. 'They're invested in this. They have invested their own dollars into this and believe in it.' Story continues below advertisement Williams immediately chipped in with the hiring of the team's general manager, and the former tennis star, who was also known for her style, has offered to assist in other areas. 23:49 WNBA in Canada: Teresa Resch hopes Toronto Tempo will 'inspire an entire new generation' 'Serena is passionate about design, so she's going to help us with uniforms and maybe a collection,' Resch explained. 'She was involved in interviewing Monica Rogers, our GM.' YouTube star Singh also brings a different offering to the table. 'Lily has been incredible,' the team president said of the Canadian media star. 'She has the title of 'Chief Hype Officer' and boy, oh boy, does she embody that. And I cannot wait for her to really tell our story in a way that only she can' And while Singh Cassidy may not be quite as famous as the others, the southern Ontario native has been a Silicon Valley star for years, having worked with Google and StubHub before becoming CEO of Xero. Story continues below advertisement Resch said that she appreciates the opportunity to pick the tech mogul's brain at times. 'Just her insights being able to mine her and she's available to provide insights for us as we're building this organization,' she said. 'She's done it before so it's incredible to have that type of talent and intellect helping us.' –with files from Global News' Eric Sorensen
CBC
24-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
WNBA's Toronto Tempo will be 'Canada's team,' president says, as 1-year countdown begins
Social Sharing 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.
CTV News
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Scarborough's Lilly Singh part-owner, chief ‘hype' officer to Toronto Tempo
Scarborough's very own Lilly Singh is officially joining the ownership ranks of the WNBA's Toronto Tempo, as well as being an official 'hype' officer for the franchise. The actor and former late-night talk show host expressed her love for Toronto and the positive impact team sports has for girls and women as part of the reasons why she wanted to join the ownership group behind the Tempo team. 'I know from experience that in every corner of the world, one thing always rings true: the positive impact that participating in sports and the sports community has on girls and women,' Singh said in a release issued on Tuesday. 'I love women. I love Toronto. Joining the ownership group of the Tempo is an absolute no-brainer. I can't think of anything else I would rather spend my money, time and hype-woman energy on.' On top of being part-owner, Singh is also tasked as being the Tempo's Chief Hype Officer, which the team says is focused on amplifying the excitement for the Tempo both on and off the court. To do that, Singh will be charged with helming in-game rituals, ramping up excitement among fans and celebrating women's basketball as a whole. 'She's been one of the earliest and most vocal supporters of this team, and we're thrilled to have her as part of our ownership group,' Teresa Resch, the club's president, said in a release. 'Her expertise in online community-building and socially-driven storytelling, not to mention her deep passion for this game, this league and this city, will be absolutely invaluable.' Singh is not the only celebrity who has an ownership stake, as 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams announced her part-owner status earlier this year. The Tempo will play their home games at the Coca-Cola Coliseum starting in 2026, but will also host regular-season contests across Canada.
