'Opportunity of a lifetime': New GM Wright Rogers ready to take charge of WNBA's Toronto Tempo
Monica Wright Rogers has merely put 10 toes on the ground in Toronto to begin her role as general manager of the WNBA's expansion Tempo, but she can already feel the support of the city behind her.
Her hiring solidifies her as the 12th member of Canada's first-ever and only WNBA team franchise.
"Once I stepped foot in this city — despite the snow — that excitement has exponentially increased in just feeling the appetite and excitement from fans and everyone in the sports world here, we have no shortage of support," Wright Rogers said in an interview with CBC Sports.
Wright Rogers, 36, arrives on the Canadian basketball scene with an impressive resume behind her: seven seasons as a point guard in the WNBA, two championship titles with the Minnesota Lynx, and in 2023, she became assistant general manager for the Phoenix Mercury.
Now, she hits the ground running with the Tempo, with the tasks lying immediately ahead of her include hiring a head coach and securing a roster of players for the first season in 2026.
While the San Antonio, Texas native didn't share details on any potential head-coaching candidates, she "feels good about where things are at," more than a year out from the first tip-off.
"There's a lot of unknown with the future of this league, the upcoming CBA [Collective Bargaining Agreement], the unprecedented amount of free agents and just a lot of talent coming into this league from international ranks, the NCAA ranks and beyond," Wright Rogers said.
Just ahead of the 2026 season, 21 league all stars will be free agents.
This includes Canada's Kia Nurse, back-to-back WNBA champion Kelsey Plum, and Las Vegas Ace star A'Ja Wilson, who was named tournament MVP at the Paris 2024 Olympics for her contributions to Team USA's gold medal.
"I'm really excited to sign our first player," Wright Rogers said. "In terms of our timeline, we've got time to pull the best brains together and strategize about how we want to approach this unprecedented time in the WNBA and women's sports as a whole."
WATCH | Wright Rogers talks goals for 2026 season:
Unparalleled WNBA success
In the 2024 season, the success of the WNBA was unparalleled, clocking the most-ever watched regular-season games across ESPN platforms, the highest total attendance of games in 22 years, and record number sales in WNBA merchandise sales.
The launch of Canada's first WNBA team will be another milestone for basketball in Canada in 2026, but to Wright Rogers, the WNBA has always deserved all the flowers.
"I've been in it so long that I've always just loved it. The same enthusiasm everyone has, I've had it this entire time, my whole life," she said. "The WNBA has always had talent and I think we're at a point in time where we see it taking strides, and we see the investment… I'm definitely on board and very excited about this ride."
As for her plans with Tempo? Simply to win.
With two chips under her belt, having won championship titles with the Minnesota Lynx in 2011 and 2013, Wright Rogers said she knows what it takes to build a winning culture.
"I was very early on with the Lynx in their dynasty in the early stages and so being a part of the build of a championship culture, a championship team… I pull from that every day," she said. "I'm hoping to make sure that that is ingrained into the culture of this franchise as well."
And as Wright Rogers continues to acclimate to Toronto (she says her family has been loving the vast food scene so far), she's excited to get to work and build this franchise from the ground up.
"This is an opportunity of a lifetime… to lay the foundation for great culture and one that is very thoughtful and reflective of not just Toronto, but Canada's basketball, women's basketball culture."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
14 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Elks look to future by embracing past, including former team name
EDMONTON - The winds of change blew through Commonwealth Stadium this winter, bringing in a new regime determined to return Edmonton's once-proud CFL franchise to its green-and-gold glory days. Part of that includes embracing the team's former name, 'Eskimos.' The club rebranded as the 'Elks' in 2021, following a broader movement among sports teams to move away from names considered racist or stereotypical, and amid pressure from sponsors who threatened to cut ties. The change proved divisive among Edmonton supporters. Regardless of which name Edmonton fans prefer, former players Chris Morris, now the team's president and CEO, and Ed Hervey, now general manager, have brought back the franchise motto: 'Once an Eskimo, Always an Eskimo.' A sign bearing the slogan has been restored above the entrance to the Elks' locker room. 'Eskimos or Elks, it is the 'Double E' and we want our fans and the community to understand we are committed to winning and being a part of the community,' Hervey said. And with that, both men are hoping the product on the field, headed by a new coaching staff led by Mark Kilam and an offence firmly in the hands of quarterback Tre Ford, will not only carry the team back into the playoffs but will lure missing fans into the stands. Despite the massive overhaul that began with the sale of the publicly owned franchise to Larry Thompson, Kilam doesn't see any problems with all the new personnel meshing into a winning product. 'It's not if you're vertically aligned, which we are, from ownership on down,' he said. 'When we have the same feelings about the way a professional football team should act, the way we think things should be run on a day-to-day basis, and the way we see things be played out on the field, it's pretty easy. 'There's a fresh, new vibe,' he continued. 'There's been a lot of roster turnover; there's been a lot of turnover on the admin side; obviously the coaching staff has been turned over. So we are the new era of the Double E and we're looking forward to setting that standard.' Doing that has to begin with a better start than the team has endured the last three years, when it began 0-5, 0-7 and 0-8 and suffered through a record 22-game home losing streak. 'It's huge, it means everything,' returning offensive lineman Jake Ceresna said of starting well. 'But even if we stub our toe early, just have faith in us and have our backs because we're going to turn this ship around.' The turnaround may have started last season when Ford got his chance at quarterback after the team started 0-7. The fourth-year Canadian sparked a dramatic turnaround that saw the Elks go 7-4 over their last 11 games. 'We want to just keep going from where we stopped last year,' said kick returner-running back Javon Leake. 'We've got the players, we've got the coaches, now we just have to go out and play.' The Elks are hoping Ford, 9-9 as a starter, will justify their faith in him, but traded for former Grey Cup MVP Cody Fajardo as a backup, just in case. Off-season roster changes have resulted in major revamping on both sides of the ball. Joining Ceresna on the defensive line are Robbie Smith and Jared Brinkman, members of Toronto's 2024 Grey Cup championship team. Behind them are linebackers Nyles Morgan and Nick Anderson along with a host of defensive backs led by Tyrell Ford and Royce Metchie. 'From the top down, this is probably one of the best defences, talent-wise, that I've been around,' said Ceresna. 'We look fast; we look terrifying.' But, he added, 'it's all talk right now. Now it's up to us as players to go out and prove it.' Offensively, Ford finds himself with a trio of top-notch receivers in Kurleigh Gittens, Jr., who led the team in receptions last year, newcomers Steven Dunbar Jr. and Kaion Julien-Grant and returnee Arkell Smith. 'He's explosive,' Kilam said of Smith. 'His body, he looks like he's had a great off-season, he's put some time in, he has some familiarity with Tre.' All-star centre Mark Korte returns and moves to left guard to make room for David Beard on an offensive line that allowed a league-low 29 sacks last season. The Elks led the CFL with 2,365 rushing yards in 2024 and are hoping the combination of Justin Rankin and Leake will offset the loss of Kevin Brown. With the number of major changes on and off the field, there was a high level of energy as the team prepared for its season opener June 7 in Vancouver against the B.C. Lions. 'This is a whole new squad, a whole new era, a whole new tradition,' said Leake. 'Everything is new. I'm excited to finally get out there and show the rest of the CFL.' 2024 record: 7-11, fourth in the West Division. Did you know: The Elks will introduce a new road jersey this week, featuring the Double E logo on the sleeves with gold and green stripes, green numbers with gold outlines and with EDMONTON spelled out on the front. Key additions: DB Royce Metchie (Toronto), DL Robbie Smith (Toronto), DL Jared Brinkman (Toronto), OL David Beard (Hamilton), QB Cody Fajardo (Montreal). Key losses: QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson (Montreal), WR Eugene Lewis (free agency-Ottawa), RB Kevin Brown (free agency) DB Kai Gray (released) Players to watch: QB Tre Ford, RB Javon Leake, WR Kurleigh Gittens, Jr. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2025.
Fox News
20 minutes ago
- Fox News
WNBA refuses to grant OutKick media credentials; What is the league hiding?
It's been nearly two weeks since Atlanta Dream forward Brittney Griner fouled out of a WNBA game against the Indiana Fever and then was seen on camera shouting something that has been interpreted multiple ways. Some people believe, based on reading her lips, that she said "f---ing white girl," while others believe she said "f---ing whack call." While no one is certain exactly what she said, there's an easy way to find out: ask Griner. However, no one has done that. OutKick has reached out to the WNBA and to Griner's management team several times, but hasn't received a single response. Still, Griner has participated in multiple games since the incident, which means the media has had plenty of access to simply ask the question. Yet, not a single "reporter" has. Would you like to know why? Because there's no such thing as a WNBA "reporter" or "journalist." Sure, there are people who have such titles in their social media bios or on their LinkedIn pages. But they're not telling the truth. The media members who cover the WNBA don't operate with journalistic integrity – instead, they act like PR professionals whose goal is not to report facts, but to simply promote the league. Why is that the case? Because the WNBA wants it that way. OutKick requested a media credential for the Atlanta Dream game in Los Angeles against the Sparks on May 27. The Sparks denied our request. OutKick requested a media credential for the Atlanta Dream game in Connecticut against the Sun on Friday night. The Sun denied our request. Here's the reason provided, via email, by the Sun: "Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate your request for a media credential for Connecticut Sun vs. Atlanta Dream on Friday, June 6. Due to very limited space, priority is given to those that are associated with outlets that have consistently covered the organization for previous seasons." Really? There's not enough space for one more media member for a regular-season game between the 1-6 Connecticut Sun and the Atlanta Dream? Interesting. OutKick asked the team why it refused our request for a credential, if it denied any other credentials and if there is an edict from the WNBA to keep us from covering games. The Sun did not respond to our questions. The Sun granted several media credentials to OutKick last year, including a playoff game that featured the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark, so it's unlikely that their excuse is anywhere near the truth. No, the more likely reason is that the WNBA doesn't want OutKick at its games. Why? Because we refuse to act like a PR firm representing the league and want to ask actual questions. You know, reporting. But the WNBA doesn't want that. That's why not one "reporter" or "journalist" has asked Brittney Griner what she said on May 23. They want to continue to get media credentials. The league has sent the message loud-and-clear: cover the WNBA how we want you to cover it, or you're not going to be invited back. Companies, organizations and governments that have nothing to hide welcome reporters. Why wouldn't they? Transparency builds trust. And if there's nothing to hide, there's no reason not to be transparent. Maybe the WNBA isn't hiding anything. But denying media access to a major news organization raises doubts about whether it is being fully transparent. Take a look at an example from last season. Christine Brennan, one of the most progressive liberals in the sports media, came under fire for simply asking DiJonai Carrington about poking Caitlin Clark in the eye. It was a perfectly reasonable question, and one that needed to be asked. Yet, the WNBA Players' Association issued a statement asking the league to revoke Brennan's media credentials. Cover us the way we want, or you're not coming to our birthday party! But just because the WNBA won't let us into its games doesn't mean we're going to stop asking. And we're certainly not going to give up our journalistic duties just because every other "reporter" who covers the league is willing to do it. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UConn Makes Big Paige Bueckers, Geno Auriemma Announcement on Friday
UConn Makes Big Paige Bueckers, Geno Auriemma Announcement on Friday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After a long, grueling, and successful five-year stretch at UConn, Paige Bueckers is now in the midst of her rookie season in the WNBA, having been selected No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings. Advertisement She capped off her collegiate career on February 16 with a dominant 87-58 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks, securing her first national championship at the college level. This victory also marked UConn's 12th national title under head coach Geno Auriemma, making the Huskies the most successful college basketball program in history in terms of national championships. The Huskies' program has been meticulously built by Auriemma, with Bueckers playing a pivotal role in maintaining that legacy—despite the highs and lows she faced during her time in Storrs, Connecticut. Bueckers missed the entire latter half of the 2022 season and all of the 2023 season due to a major knee injury. Still, she appeared in 39 and 38 games during her final two years and managed to earn a championship ring before moving on to the WNBA. Advertisement On Friday, months after concluding her collegiate career, UConn announced exciting news: Geno Auriemma and Paige Bueckers will grace the cover of the latest UConn Magazine Summer 2025 edition. The cover photo captures the two embracing during the final moments of the Huskies' national title victory. Bueckers has been open about the love-hate nature of her relationship with Auriemma, but emphasized that it was always rooted in positivity and mutual respect. From the moment he recruited her to play in Storrs, Auriemma recognized her potential and pushed her to become a leader and strive for greatness. Together, they couldn't have ended the 2024-25 season on a better note. Connecticut Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma hugs guard Paige Bueckers (5) during national championship of the women's 2025 NCAA Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images "He told me he loved me, and I told him I hated him," Bueckers said after the game. "No, I love that man more than words can describe. There are a lot of times when I don't. Advertisement "But it's because he's challenging me and making us all better in ways we never even knew we could. And he always has our back. Sometimes, it feels he's on you and he has nothing but bad things to say. "But he always has belief. He always has your back. Just the relationship that we have, I can't even put into words." Related: Geno Auriemma Makes Clear Announcement on Retirement After 12th National Title This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
