The Toronto Tempo opened their inaugural season before at sellout of 8,210 at Coca-Cola Coliseum. While the Tempo lost to the Mystics, the atmosphere of the WNBA’s debut of a Canadian team was “exactly what the team hoped to see.” The game was a “historic one -- both on and off the court.” The energy of the fans, who were “adorned in either Tempo Bordeaux and blue, or alternate white ‘Opening Night’ T-shirts that had been placed on their seats ahead of tip-off, was palpable all night.” Tempo owners Larry Tanenbaum and Masai Ujiri were “among those in attendance,” as well as WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Canadian sports royalty that included Christine Sinclair and Andre DeGrasse (THE ATHLETIC, 5/9).
The crowd was brought “to its feet” as Tempo fans “anticipated to win.” But what was “not in doubt was how successful the game was from a sales and marketing perspective.” Coca-Cola Coliseum was “sold out with hundreds of fans buying standing room only tickets.” Before the game, the “longest line on the arena’s concourse was for the merchandise stand” (CP, 5/9).
Everything about the night “was a celebration.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney “sent out warm wishes in social media in both English and French.” The PR staff of the Tempo said that they “received 72 media credential requests for the game.” The official media count was 43. There has been an “explosion of basketball interest in Toronto, a Canada-wide explosion, really, since the Raptors won their title in 2019.” The women’s game is “part of that.” There will be “plenty of losses along the way, especially in Year One.” But “everything is in place for sustained success in Canada.” The league overall is “flush with U.S. television money” (CBC SPORTS, 5/9).
THE ATHLETIC’s Brian Hamilton looked inside the Tempo’s “mad dash to opening night” (THE ATHLETIC, 5/8).
