Uncertainty reigns for Toronto Tempo 1 year after Valkyries WNBA expansion draft

The hiring of Toronto Tempo Sandy Brondello has turned some heads.

This was one of the most accomplished coaches in recent WNBA history, hitting the open market and choosing to lead an expansion team without any players or even much front office staff.

And it wasn't about the money – Brondello as reported also received offers from Dallas and Seattle, at least one of which promised a better deal than the one she ultimately received in Toronto. (Financial terms of her contract with Tempo were not disclosed.)

So why did Brondello choose Toronto? It was the first thing she was asked at her introduction in November.

“I think it's a little bit of a different situation, obviously. A lot of players are free agents now. Yes, we'll be an expansion team, but hopefully it'll be a special summer in Toronto. So hopefully we can find some special players to represent Tempo,” Brondello said.

A year ago, on December 6, 2024, the Golden State Valkyries held an expansion draft, taking eventual top player Veronica Burton from the Connecticut Sun, infusing their troops with international flavor and ultimately laying the groundwork for a surprise playoff run.

But this WNBA offseason is like no other. With the collective bargaining agreement expiring, the league's players timed their free agencies for expected financial success.

Meanwhile, two expansion teams – Tempo and Portland Fire – will enter the league in 2026, further complicating matters.

The rules for the Valkyries were simple – each of the 12 existing teams could protect six players, and Golden State could take one from each roster.

We are waiting for details of the expansion project

As of November, Tempo President Teresa Resch said she had not received any indication of what its expansion project might look like. Instead, the team is focused on everything else.

“We know a lot of things are going to happen and we can plan and discuss them. The ball will still bounce in the same direction and the strategy on the basketball court won't change,” Resch said.

Perhaps Resch was just pretending, and was more confident than she let on. Again, the rules of the expansion draft must be agreed upon by the league and the players in the new CBA, which remains up in the air.

Three more teams—Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia—will also rotate into the league from 2028 to 2030.

Here's what we know: The league and players are currently negotiating an extension to the deadline, reached in late November and extending through January 9th. The league's latest proposal would triple the salary cap from about $1.5 million to $5 million, ESPN reportedwhile maximum contracts will increase from a base amount of less than $250,000 to $1 million, and minimum contracts will increase to $225,000 from $66,079.

Creating a list

As Brondello mentioned, Tempo could be built through both free agency and the expansion draft. In addition, Toronto will receive either the sixth or seventh pick in the 2026 college draft (the order was determined by a lottery in November, with the Tempo and Fire guaranteed one of those two picks, although who exactly will receive has not been determined).

All of this means that there are many routes Tempo can take when building their roster. But predicting what the last dozen might look like is almost impossible at this point.

Let's try anyway.

Tempo might like to have a little Canadian flair.

“I hope it happens,” Brondello said. “They still have to pick us rather than just us picking them if some of them are free agents. I think it would be great to encourage some Canadian players to come back here and play for Tempo.”

Canadian options include the ever-popular Kia Nurse, the reliable Bridget Carlton and the high-profile Leticia Amihere, who found herself a recurring role on Valkyries last season.

Aaliyah Edwards, who may have the highest ceiling of the four, has a rookie contract with Connecticut through 2027.

The collegiate draft for Tempo is somewhat predictable: Spanish star Ava Pham may be eyeing a move to Tempo at No. 6 or 7, helping build an international base in the league's only non-U.S. market.

Otherwise, South Carolina's Ta'Niya Latson is a popular mock draft pick, while recognizable NCAA stars Lauren Betts, Azzie Fudd and Flower'J Johnson will likely be off the board by the time Tempo takes the start.

There are no Canadians projected to be selected in the first round, and Ole Miss forward Latasha Lattimore is likely the top prospect from north of the border expected to enter the pro ranks next season.

In free agency, the possibilities are endless.

Tempo is betting that being the only WNBA team to have former players serve as both general manager (Monica Wright Rogers) and coach will help them recruit players in addition to Brondello's reputation as a players' coach.

“Being a former player, I think that helped me,” Brondello said. “People talk about being a players' coach, if you will, if you will. I understand what players go through, so I think that gives me insight, but I also know how to get the best out of them and how to build chemistry.”

Toronto will also likely tout its city as a desirable destination for players – something Brondello herself has said is that diversity, vibrancy and “great restaurants” are all draws.

There is also an expansion project.

With so few players under contract and two teams coming at the same time, there won't be much choice. Unlike Valkyries, the expansion project may not have much of an impact at all given the current situation.

We can make some guesses about the types of players Tempo might target, with Wright Rodgers saying she prioritizes defense and Brondello saying she wants to play a “fun” style. But we can't even suggest names.

Because at the moment the only certainty when it comes to team building is that there isn't one.