ESPN announced “Setting the Tempo,” a four-part docuseries centered on the creation and inaugural season of the Toronto Tempo.
ESPN announced the premiere of a four-part series centered on the Toronto Tempo and how the franchise was created.
The docuseries is titled "Setting the Tempo", and it will premiere Sept. 20 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, Disney+ and the ESPN App. Toronto is one of the newest expansion teams along with the Portland Fire.
Sports analyst Monica McNutt is one of the main participants featured in the trailer that was released Sept. 15, along with players and coaches from the Tempo.
Toronto Tempo Built From Scratch
The Tempo, along with the Portland Fire, are the league's newest expansion teams, and both teams are playing in their inaugural season this year. Toronto has major sports teams in the NHL, MLB, MLS, CFL and NBA.
Most basketball fans reference the Toronto Raptors, and it took Toronto 30 years to land a WNBA team.
The docuseries highlights how the team didn't have any active players close to the beginning of the season because of CBA negotiations, which impacted the expansion draft date.
Head coach Sandy Brondello and general manager Monica Wright Rogers built the roster through the expansion draft, trades and the free agent market.
Toronto is 11-29 on the season and went 3-7 in its last 10 games. The franchise sits 13th in the league standings with four games remaining.
Despite the team's record, there have been positive signs during the season.
Bright Spots Emerge During Tempo's First Season
Despite the Tempo's underwhelming season, most expansion teams miss the postseason in their inaugural season. The only expansion team to clinch a playoff berth in its first season is the Golden State Valkyries.
Guards Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey showed glimpses of chemistry and a strong future backcourt when both players were healthy and on the floor together.
Rookie guard Kiki Rice missed 16 games this season, but when on the floor, she has produced.
Rice provides the franchise with a young point guard who can score on all three levels and get her teammates involved while crashing the glass at times. She is averaging 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists while playing 26.6 minutes per game.
Center Isabelle Harrison has given the franchise a veteran who can score in double figures while bringing the younger players together.
Toronto has six players averaging double figures in scoring, and the whole roster has contributed.
Mabrey (20.8), Sykes (18.6), Rice (12.4), forward Nyara Sabally (12.3) and forward Laura Juskaite (10.3) are all scoring in double figures.
Brondello provides the team with a coach who can develop talent, has won championships and can bring flexibility to the roster by finding talent globally.
Tempo Help Push WNBA Into Global Market
The Tempo is the WNBA's first international team and has helped continue to push the league into a global market.
The docuseries will give viewers a closer look at how Toronto built its first roster and navigated the challenges that came with launching an expansion franchise.
