Tempo’s platform for equity, community, and collective action launches with the team’s first-ever Fan Pledge, written by Toronto’s first Youth Poet Laureate Shahaddah Jack

June 5, 2025 [Toronto, ON] – The Toronto Tempo today announced the launch of Together We Win — the team’s new platform for equity, community, and collective action.

Launching during Pride and National Indigenous History Month in Canada but crafted for longevity, Together We Win is released in partnership with founding partner, Sephora Canada. The platform will come to life in the years to come through a fan pledge, limited edition merchandise, and local and national partnerships with diverse grassroots organizations to champion inclusion and belonging on and off the court.

“Sports don’t just reflect culture — they shape it. More than anything, they create belonging,” said Whitney Bell, Chief Marketing Officer of Tempo Basketball Club. “Together We Win is our promise to every member of our community: you have a place with us. And it’s a call to our fans — not just to cheer, but to stand. For inclusion. For representation. For each other.”

At the core of the platform is the Fan Pledge — a bold, visible commitment to making game day, and the community around it, truly inclusive. Crafted by Shahaddah Jack, Toronto’s first Youth Poet Laureate, the Fan Pledge invites fans to stand with the team in championing belonging for all.

Designed to be a call-to-action for fans from coast-to-coast-to-coast,, the Fan Pledge will open every home game when the Tempo take the court in 2026, setting the tone and reminding everyone of the team’s commitment to creating a space where all are welcome.

By signing the pledge on the Tempo’s website, fans will play an active part in a growing movement. For the month of June, every signature will lead to a $1 donation from the Tempo (up to $15,000) to You Can Play, an advocacy organization working to ensure 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion at every level of the game. To drive even greater impact, for the first 15,000 Canadians who sign the pledge, Sephora Canada will match the Tempo’s investment and support diverse organizations across the country, including You Can Play.

“At Sephora Canada, our purpose is to champion a world where inspiration and inclusion go hand in hand — where everyone feels empowered to celebrate their beauty,” says Allison Litzinger, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Sephora Canada. “Together with the Tempo, we are committed to helping shape a community of fans who can bring their authentic selves to the game and come together through the shared passion of sport.”

For Pride and National Indigenous History Month specifically, the Tempo will collaborate with Canadian artists from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to bring the Fan Pledge to life through art. The finished pieces will be featured on merchandise, with proceeds benefiting local charitable organizations across the country. The merchandise will be available at Makeway (shopmakeway.co) later this month.

“Diversity is in the DNA of the WNBA,” concludes Bell. “As a new franchise, we’re so proud to continue building on the legacy of the league — one that champions equity, visibility, and community. We understand the role we play in this broader story, and we take it incredibly seriously.”

The Tempo will begin playing at Coca-Cola Coliseum in 2026 and will host regular-season games across Canada. More information about the team, including details on how to place a Season Ticket deposit and access the Tempo’s merchandise store, is available at tempo.wnba.com.

About Toronto Tempo

In May 2024, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced its expansion into Canada by awarding Toronto an expansion team, the league’s first outside the United States. The new team, owned by Kilmer Sports Ventures, will begin play in the 2026 season as the WNBA’s 14th franchise. Sephora Canada and CIBC are the team’s first announced founding partners. Larry Tanenbaum, Chairman of Kilmer Sports Ventures and a 30-year veteran of building championship-caliber teams, is also Chairman of the NBA Board of Governors and Chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, MLS’ Toronto FC and other professional sports franchises. Under his leadership, the Raptors won their first NBA championship in 2019.

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For additional information, please contact:
Bri Bijman, Craft Public Relations
bri@craftpublicrelations.com | 416-206-5242

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