In North America, basketball is dominated by the NBA, its Finals viewership outdraws the WNBA Finals 20:1. That’s not just a gap; it’s a commercial disadvantage. Unlike many women’s pro teams that inherit resources, infrastructure, and fan bases from their male counterparts, the WNBA Toronto expansion team started from scratch. No parent NBA team. No built-in fan database. No shortcuts. With two years until our first game, we faced a blank slate in a crowded market, and a once-in-a-generation opportunity. Ownership’s ambition? Build the WNBA’s biggest fan base from day one—and make it a source of national, not just local, pride. The largest and most engaged fan bases in the world have a deep emotional connection to their teams. Much of that comes from an attachment to players (and their stories), ritualized belonging, and attachment to the history and heritage of the team. With none of those engagement drivers available to us, we had to change the game. Instead of building up to a big name and logo reveal, we took the risk of engaging Canadians throughout the building process, allowing them to shape the identity of THEIR Team. The initiative positioned Canada's First WNBA team as a new breed of professional sports franchise, and by welcoming fans into a collaborative, co-creative process, we’d ignite one of the most engaged fan bases in Women's sports before the team stepped foot on a court. As of today, 1 in 4 Canadians have interacted with the Toronto Tempo brand before the team has players, and well before they even step on a court. Now, with less than a year to tipoff, more than 40% of all Canadians are aware of our team and 20% intend to view games. A first for any women’s team. Anywhere. And this is just the beginning.