Toronto has become a major destination for women’s professional sports as new teams reshape the city’s game-day energy. The Toronto Tempo began play in 2026 as Canada’s first WNBA team, marking a historic moment as the league’s first franchise outside the United States. The city’s basketball culture is already strong due to the Toronto Raptors, but the Tempo adds new significance for women’s athletics. Toronto also hosts the Toronto Sceptres in women’s hockey and AFC Toronto in women’s soccer, creating a rare combination of pro women’s basketball, hockey, and soccer teams. The result is increased visibility and excitement for female athletes across the country and continent.
"Electricity charged the air in Toronto 's Coca-Cola Coliseum on May 8, 2026. For the first time, the stands were awash in burgundy and blue, with longtime sports fans and young girls alike cloaked in the colors to watch the inaugural Toronto Tempo game, celebrating the country's first WNBA team. With 32 seconds left, no one could sit down-not me, not the courtside female athletes from other pro teams, and certainly not the little blonde girl dancing on the Jumbotron. Despite the loss in the end, nothing could take away from the euphoric feeling of watching our team play for the first time, knowing we were witnessing a piece of history."
"Toronto was awarded a WNBA expansion franchise in 2024, and when this happened, it felt like the city was finally catching up to itself. Basketball is already embedded in Toronto's identity thanks to the cultural influence of the NBA's Toronto Raptors (their 2019 championship win was nothing short of epic), but the Tempo's arrival carries a different kind of significance. As the WNBA's first franchise outside the US, the team represents a defining moment not just for Canadian basketball, but for women's sports across the country and continent. And honestly? It's about time."
"As someone who has lived in the city for most of my life, it's incredible to see female athletes finally being given the spotlight they deserve. In the last three years alone, Toronto has become one of the world's most exciting cities for women's sports. The Toronto Sceptres hit the ice in January 2024, while AFC Toronto made its debut in April 2025, making Toronto one of only three North American cities to host professional women's hockey, soccer, and basketball teams-a wicked trifecta. What an honor to be able to sit in the stands and ch"
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
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