Why Edmonton’s Sports Fans Should Get Behind Toronto Tempo
City rivalries are common to all sports. After all, Oilers fans don’t lose much sleep when the Calgary Flames lose in the NHL. But, then again, Canadians can come together when national pride is on the line. Which brings us to the Toronto Tempo, Canada’s first WNBA team, which will debut in the league this May.
Arguably, this is an important milestone for women’s basketball in Canada. A lot of effort has been put into the development and exposure of women’s basketball via the WNBA. Indeed, it’s difficult to think of a female sports league in the world with more focus on growth. It also feels like there is a lot riding on it.
The league is patiently expanding
What’s interesting is that the development of the league will be staggered. There will be 15 teams competing in the 2026 season (the NBA has 30), and there are plans for further expansions in 2028, 2029 and 2030, adding teams from Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia. Who knows? Edmonton is the fastest-growing of Canada’s five largest cities, so perhaps a WNBA team could arrive here one day.
Yet, it’s important to note that the expansion has been patient by design, adding one or two teams every couple of years on average. The reason is to make sure the teams arriving have the facilities and infrastructure in place, as well as the ability to get competitive rosters in place through the Expansion Draft. The WNBA is not in a rush, and that’s a good thing. The league’s authorities and planners are thinking in decades, not years.
Toronto may be on a learning curve this season
As for the Tempo, it might take some time to bed in. The latest WNBA odds from DraftKings suggest that Toronto is an outsider for championship glory, not yet with the quality and experience of established teams like the Las Vegas Aces or New York Liberty. But that’s okay, too. The team’s management is also thinking long-term like the rest of the league.
The WNBA has a partnership with Canadian broadcasters, including TSN and Sportsnet, and there are also options to watch via Amazon Prime and NBA TV Canada, the latter of which has promised to cover Tempo games. There’s also a push from Meta to show WNBA games – or at least dedicated highlights packages – on its family of social media apps. And hardcore fans can basically watch everything with the WNBA Pass. So, the options are there.
This feels like an important moment for women’s sports. There’s plenty of pushback against the WNBA, and plenty of misogyny on social media from people who want the league to fail. So, getting on board with Canada’s sole representative in the league – for now – is a good way to show your support and stick it to the naysayers. Nobody expects you to make a pilgrimage to the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto for the games each week, but engaging with the team and the wider league on socials and TV broadcasts could help with the snowball effect of putting women’s basketball and sports in general on the pedestal that it deserves.
