海角社区官网Tempo聽general manager Monica Wright Rogers wants to hit the ground running in the process to build the first WNBA team outside the United States.
Wright Rogers was officially introduced in a team press conference on where Tempo president Teresa Resch said that hiring a GM is the first major step in changing the focus to basketball after the first nine months were spent growing the business side.
鈥淚 could not find a better person than Monica to lead this team,鈥 said Resch, citing the 36-year-old鈥檚 extensive experience within the WNBA and her personality among the reasons she got the job that is set to take women鈥檚 basketball in Canada to greater heights.
鈥淲e are the next chapter. Women鈥檚 basketball and the Tempo is what鈥檚 next.鈥
Here’s what else we learned from the Tempo GM’s introductory conference:
Why Toronto?
It might be an understatement to say Wright Rogers, who worked as assistant general manager for the Phoenix Mercury over the past two seasons, is excited for the new job.
鈥淕eneral manager roles are always special but I truly believe that there鈥檚 no better general manager role in the league than this one,鈥 she said.
Wright Rogers called 海角社区官网鈥渁 sports city鈥 with a passionate fan base that is hungry for more women鈥檚 pro sports and the growing appetite for a WNBA team. Taking the job, for her, was 鈥渁 no-brainer.鈥
Add in the fact that this is a new franchise and players can start building their own legacies here, and it makes it more advantageous to want to compete here and be a part of the process, she said.
Wright Rogers was officially introduced as the Tempo鈥檚 first general manager Thursday morning, about three weeks after her hiring was leaked.
Wright Rogers was officially introduced as the Tempo鈥檚 first general manager Thursday morning, about three weeks after her hiring was leaked.
Tempo鈥檚 next steps
Resch said the team has 12 people in various front office positions and continues to recruit more people to fill the necessary vacancies.
Next up in the team鈥檚 building process is the hiring of a head coach, which is expected to happen in the coming months. The coaching staff and the GM will work together in building a roster that will shape the team鈥檚 inaugural season in 2026. That will be done through the draft as well as free agency, which Wright Rogers believes will be one of the most dynamic in league history.
鈥21 of last year鈥檚 WNBA all-stars are set to become unrestricted free agents in 2026,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e dedicated to bringing the greatest basketball players in the world here to Toronto.鈥
She said all players want to be in a situation where they feel support, can be competitive and have a chance to win, and that鈥檚 what the Tempo will strive to bring to the market.
Team identity
Wright Rogers won two WNBA championships playing with the Minnesota Lynx and was a defensive anchor in her career. A defensive mindset will be among the top traits in mind while building the roster.
鈥淲hatever our identity is on the court will be a combination of what I believe in and what our future head coach believes in,鈥 she said, promising an 鈥渦p-tempo game鈥 and quality basketball when the team starts to compete.
鈥淚 think defence is something that wins championships at the end of the day, so you really can鈥檛 not have that in your on-court product.鈥
The WNBA expansion team聽won鈥檛 play its first game until 2026 but will have items available for sale through its web sales portal starting Tuesday.
The WNBA expansion team聽won鈥檛 play its first game until 2026 but will have items available for sale through its web sales portal starting Tuesday.
Canada鈥檚 team
Wright Rogers said she and the team cannot wait to settle into their new home at Coca-Cola Coliseum, but the schedule will include regular season games in Montreal and Vancouver as part of the team鈥檚 mandate to represent all Canadians.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not just building this team for the city but for an entire country,鈥 she said. 鈥淭his is so much more than a team. It鈥檚 a movement to grow the game of women鈥檚 basketball in Canada.鈥
She would not make any promises about specifically recruiting Canadian players to join the 海角社区官网roster but said she鈥檚 鈥渆xcited about the talent鈥 that Canada has in the WNBA and those in the NCAA and national team pipelines.
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 tremendous opportunity to get some of that talent in the future,鈥 she said.
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