Canada’s first WNBA team reveals its roster as fans are split on Toronto Tempo picks

What to know

The Toronto Tempo, Canada’s first WNBA team, are taking shape after a busy week that included Masai Ujiri joining the ownership group and a draft pick trade with the Chicago Sky.

The team completed its 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft, selecting 11 players, including Marina Mabrey, Julie Allemand, Nyara Sabally, and Kristy Wallace.

The roster features strong international representation, with players from seven countries and a mix of championship experience and versatility.

Fan reactions have been mixed, with excitement over key picks like Mabrey alongside disappointment that Canadian standout Bridget Carleton was not selected.

We’re getting closer to seeing Toronto’s WNBA team hit the court for its first-ever game, and now we know some of the women currently on the roster.

It’s been an exciting week for the new Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team, the Toronto Tempo. On Tuesday, the team announced that Toronto basketball legend and former president of the Raptors, Masai Ujiri, would be joining the ownership team. Then on Wednesday, the team announced it had secured a deal with the Chicago Sky to give Tempo the 26th pick in the college draft, set for April 13. 

And now we know who the team secured during the recent 2026 Expansion Draft. The Toronto Tempo selected 11 players from a league-designated pool of available players during the Friday draft.

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The list includes Marina Mabrey and Nikolina Milic, both coming from the Connecticut Sun, María Conde of the Golden State Valkyries, Kristy Wallace from the Indiana Fever, Aaliyah Nye of the Las Vegas Aces, Julie Allemand from the Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx player Maria Kliundikova, the New York Liberty’s Adja Kane and Nyara Sabally, Lexi Held and Kitija Laksa of the Phoenix Mercury.

The selections are impressive, with both Sabally and Nye holding former league championship titles. Meanwhile, the roster includes a lot of international representation, with players hailing from seven different countries, including Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Russia, France and Latvia. 

Following this week’s deal with Chicago, Tempo skipped on the chance to choose a player from the Sky, while the team also decided against taking on any players from the Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream, and Dallas Wings.   

The Toronto team is one of two new teams breaking into the league this year, and the first-ever WNBA team outside of the U.S. 

“Our goal was to construct a roster that reflects the style of play and culture we want to establish — one that balances competitiveness with long-term flexibility, and features players who bring versatility, toughness, and winning experience,” team General Manager Monica Wright Rogers said in a statement, adding that the chosen players provide the Tempo with the opportunity to compete right out of the gate, while continuing to build, and embraces the opportunity to help shape something new as Canada’s first team in the league.

The team’s roster isn’t complete or finalized just yet. While the expansion draft is over, the women’s team will now focus on free agency and the Entry Draft, set for April 13. Toronto has entry draft picks 6, 22, 26, and 36. There could be shakeups to the roster before the team’s game later this month.

Tempo Draft: Toronto reacts

Following the team’s announcement of draft picks, people in the city had a lot to say, and most of them were incredibly excited.

“So happy with the Mabrey pick, we need that energy and fire,” one person posted to Reddit.

“Decent picks. Yes, we are sad that we lost out on our Canadian player,r but having the 6th pick is crucial for the team in this upcoming deep draft,” another person added.

“Y’all got a squad!” one fan wrote on X.

“I’m just happy we got Marina Mabrey. That is definitely a huge steal.”

Some people are even considering bandwagoning with the Tempo after the announcement.

“Tempo fans, can I hop on y’all’s bandwagon as a Sun fan after this Marina pick? I’m ready to support,” one Redditor posted.

While others are not pleased with the team’s choices, with many sharing their disappointment that Canadian player Bridget Carleton was not selected by Toronto.

“The Tempo draft is a joke compared to what Portland has,” one fan wrote on X. “The fact that Toronto let Bridget Carleton go to Portland just tells you how clueless the Tempo management is! So disappointing! Great job screwing things up!”

“Still shocked we lost Bridget Carleton to Portland 😭 She is legit and 🇨🇦. We could have kept our privilege of picking first in the expansion draft,” a fan said on Reddit.

Toronto’s WNBA team will hit the court for its first-ever match on April 29, taking on the Connecticut Sun in a pre-season game at home. The women’s first official in-season game is slated for May 8, and will see them take on the Washington Mystics on May 8 at Toronto’s Coca-Cola Coliseum.