The WNBA is thriving like never before, shattering viewership records this year with attendance skyrocketing. A big shoutout to star rookies like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, who have taken the league by storm. But that’s not all. For the first time in a long while, the WNBA is expanding. The Golden State Valkyries are officially joining the party next season, and more teams are already in the works. Back in May, the WNBA announced that its 14th franchise would be based in Toronto. This makes it the first WNBA team outside the United States, much inspired by the NBA. However, an accidental website drop might’ve just revealed the team name beforehand, and it hasn’t gone down well.

The Canadian team’s social media accounts have been active for months. Alongside Toronto, Portland is set to join in 2026, bringing the league to 15 teams. More teams mean more opportunities for players, more games for fans, and more proof that the WNBA is here to stay.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert highlighted this, saying, “The basketball was great, but the business was not,” when she took over. Now, the Valkyries expansion draft goes live on Friday, December 6. However, Toronto also seems to be hitting the headlines already. Not for a good reason, tho. 

Eagle-eyed fans spotted something odd on the WNBA’s website. Under the “Players” section, there was a dropdown menu listing all 13 current teams. But there was also a 14th team—Toronto Tempo. 

Fans were quick to take screenshots before the mysterious listing disappeared. Obviously, the internet exploded. Is “Tempo” Toronto’s official team name, or is it just a placeholder? The jury’s still out, and Tempo might just mean “temporary,” but social media seems pretty convinced this was a premature reveal. 

WNBA fans disappointed over the new Canadian team’s name

The basketball community had a field day. Starting with the first one who summed up the disappointment, saying, “They went through a long 5-month process with the team name for them to come up with TEMPO.”

Well, back in May, when the team was announced, chairman Larry Tanenbaum promised to “solicit public input” and involve fans in the naming process. Team official Resch even urged people to send in their ideas, saying, “We want people to be part of this.” After all that buildup, many fans were expecting something creative. If “Tempo” really is the final choice, it feels like a letdown.

Another comment took a playful jab at the name’s lack of gravitas: “If you lose to the ‘Tempo,’ you just gotta sell the team.” The tongue-in-cheek critique somehow means that the word Tempo doesn’t exactly strike fear into opponents. Most are hopeful but not everyone is holding onto hope for a placeholder name, though. As one user put it, “That’s definitely it; it would say ‘temp’ if they meant temporary.” 

For comparison, another fan highlighted the Golden State Valkyries, the other new expansion team. “Valkyries is such a hard name 😭,” they said, praising its ties to Norse mythology and its image of fearless warrior women. Compared to that, this one feels flat and uninspired. More like the name of a music app than a basketball team.

And obviously, no online debate is complete without a bit of humor. One fan shared a picture of a thermometer, writing, “the mascot.” Sarcastically, they suggested it could be the team’s mascot. The joke plays on the name’s similarity to “temperature,” and it’s hard not to laugh, imagining a thermometer running around a WNBA court.

Whatever the final name ends up being, the Toronto team has already sparked plenty of debate. Regarding the name, fans will have their answer soon enough. Until then, the internet will keep doing what it does best. Roasting, debating, and making memes.