Toronto Tempo are no longer just an idea. Now, they are a team

It all happened in a flurry.

The Toronto Tempo had their first player. They signed their first free agent. They made their first draft pick. They brought on their first Canadian star. They unveiled their inaugural court.

Just under two years after CBC Sports first broke the news that the WNBA was coming to Toronto, and less than a month after the league and players agreed on a new collective bargaining, the Tempo are no longer just an idea. Now, they are a team.

On Tuesday, the franchise hosted fans for the first time at its Coca-Cola Coliseum home, where in addition to the court reveal, it introduced its dance troupe and held a “fireside chat” with president Teresa Resch, general manager Monica Wright Rogers and head coach Sandy Brondello.

If it wasn’t already clear from the two phases of franchise-building the Tempo have gone through — the long behind-the-scenes laying of the groundwork, and the breakneck assembly of the roster — the trio made no bones about wanting to enjoy and feel the excitement of the inaugural season.

If there was a general philosophy behind the group of players Wright Rogers brought in, it was just that.

“They want to be here. They can't wait to be here. As we're talking to them, as we're texting them and they're preparing to arrive, they're nipping at the bud to touch down in Toronto,” the GM said after Monday’s college draft, where the Tempo selected UCLA’s Kiki Rice sixth overall.

“And so I think once you get on that court, you'll really feel that excitement shine through, especially in games.”

Building our home from the ground up.