Toronto Tempo set for historic first regular-season WNBA game

TORONTO — History will be made tonight when the Toronto Tempo host the Washington Mystics in their first-ever regular-season game.

Toronto is one of two expansion teams joining the WNBA for its 30th season, coming in alongside the Portland Fire.

Kia Nurse headlines the Tempo squad, and while the veteran guard hails from nearby Hamilton, Ont., she says she’s treating the team’s debut as “just another basketball game.”

Toronto added Kentucky forward Teonni Key and UCLA guard Kiki Rice to the roster at the draft.

Head coach Sandy Brondello says she’s eager to see what her players can do when the ball meets the court at Coca-Cola Coliseum.

Toronto will play 44 games during its inaugural season, including two at Montreal’s Bell Centre in July and two at Rogers Arena in Vancouver in August.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2026.

The Canadian Press