It’s a happy day. A day to celebrate.
When Brianne Spiker and I started this column a few years ago, we had no idea that come 2026, we’d be writing about a WNBA team in the country of Canada.
But here we are.
It’s been a long journey for women’s basketball in Canada since the Edmonton Graduates became world champions in 1923.
The Grads were formed in 1915, when a group of graduating high school students convinced their teacher to coach them in basketball so they could continue to play together.
Eight years later, they won their first world championship and never looked back. Known as the most successful women’s basketball team of the early 20th century, the Grads won 502 games with only 20 losses from 1915 before disbanding in 1940.
Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, called the Grads the “finest basketball team that ever stepped out on a floor.”
And while the Grads paved the way for women’s basketball in this country, that doesn’t mean success for the Toronto Tempo will be instant.
Entering its debut season, the Tempo are +410 longshots to make the playoffs and +10000 to win the championship.
Last season, the expansion Golden State Valkyries went 23-21, becoming the first WNBA expansion franchise to make the playoffs in its inaugural season. This year, the Tempo and Portland Fire (+2200) hope to do the same.
| Regular Season Wins |
|---|
| Over 15.5 (-108) |
| Under 15.5 (-112) |
Head coach Sandy Brondello appears to have the best chance at winning an award on the team this year, coming in at +900 to win Coach of the Year.
Brondello won WNBA Coach of the Year in 2014 and has won two WNBA championships during her 12 years as a head coach in the league. Her 271 regular-season wins rank sixth all-time in league history.
Marina Mabrey and Kiki Rice are the only other Tempo players listed shorter than 100-1 to win an award this season.
| Player | Award | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Marina Mabrey | MVP | +7500 |
| Kiki Rice | Sixth Player of the Year | +4000 |
The Toronto team, led by Marina Mabrey, opened the season as -130 favourites in their home opener against the Washington Mystics. However, that line has now flipped, and the Tempo are small underdogs.
With more on the Tempo and what we can expect from the team this season, here’s a link to five players to watch this season, written by TSN’s Brianne Spiker.
