The WNBA may have accidentally leaked the team name of the expansion franchise based in Toronto that is set to debut in 2026.
On Tuesday night, X users began sharing screenshots of a drop-down list of team names found on WNBA.com. The list showed 14 WNBA teams—one more than the number of teams playing next season—and included the “Toronto Tempo.”
Winsidr senior writer Myles Ehrlich confirmed to Front Office Sports he saw the list himself and shared his screenshot on X at 10:08 p.m. ET.
It’s unclear when the official announcement of Toronto’s team name will be—or whether the Tempo is the final moniker of the franchise. X, Instagram, and TikTok accounts for the Toronto franchise go by the handle @WNBA_Toronto.
The WNBA did not respond to a request for comment.
The timing is premature, at least compared to the Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s latest expansion team set to debut in 2025. The Valkyries announced their team name on May 14, the opening day of the 2024 WNBA season.
The Toronto expansion franchise was first announced in May, a week after the Valkyries launched their team name. It will be the league’s first team outside the U.S. The franchise is owned by Kilmer Sports Ventures CEO Larry Tanenbaum, who is also the chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the NBA’s Raptors, NHL’s Maple Leafs, and MLS’s Toronto FC.
Tanenbaum reportedly paid $115 million for the team, split between the expansion fee and a new practice facility.
