“It’s tough to hold on to it for over a year, we see all the time that jerseys get leaked and people seem to know them, so that was a bit daunting,” said Bell. “And then from the time we designed them to when we saw the first physical samples was like half a year, so you almost forget.
“Then it’s like a pleasant surprise when you get to see them again.”
WNBA teams have three uniforms designed by Nike: the Heroine (home), Explorer (away) and Rebel (alternate). Toronto’s Explorer jersey will be available for fans to purchase beginning in January.
The WNBA doesn’t sell its Heroine jerseys, and the Rebel design hasn’t been revealed yet.
Both Toronto’s Heroine and Explorer jerseys have six speedlines down the sides of the jersey. That detail represents city’s six boroughs and the five players on the court supported by the sixth player in the game: the fans.
“(The speed lines were) are something that I think sets us apart. It’s really unique about our team,” said Bell. “It speaks to the word Tempo itself as well.
“Specifically on the Explorer, it’s on both of them, but I think having those bright blue lines on top of the Tempo Bordeaux is really beautiful, and just the change in the width and the flow of them speaks to that dynamic nature of our name and the game itself.”
The Tempo will make their WNBA debut in 2026 and play most of their home games at Coca-Cola Coliseum at Toronto’s Exhibition Place. The team has also committed to playing two regular-season home games in Vancouver and two in Montreal.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 16, 2025.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press