After the Toronto Tempo was named the WNBA’s 14th franchise nearly two years ago, it was finally time for them to make their first draft picks. For their first draft, the Tempo had four picks: No. 6 in the first round, overall No. 22 and No. 26 in the second round, and No. 36 in the third round.
With limited spots left on their training camp roster, the Tempo opted to split their picks, taking two players to join the team now and two to stash for future seasons.
First off the board, and the first-ever draft pick in Toronto WNBA history, ended up being Kiki Rice out of UCLA. Chicago picked Gabriela Jaquez at No. 5, allowing the Tempo to pick up Rice with the No. 6 pick.
“It was evident that she was just pro-ready, and that she was someone who could really help us in the back court,” Tempo general manager Monica Wright Rogers said in a post-draft press conference. “She can handle the ball, she can guard the perimeter. She added her shooting late in her college career, which just really made her the perfect fit for us.”
It was Rice’s versatility, poise, and readiness as a prospect that attracted the Tempo. For Toronto, it’s more than just a pick — Rice will be a part of this system for at least the next four years, and become an ambassador for the WNBA’s entrance into the Canadian market.
“This is a really special opportunity, incredible to be joining a team in its inaugural season,” Rice said at her post-draft press conference in New York. “I think it’s also really cool that I’m stepping into a place that has a lot of experience in terms of the people that are already there … it will obviously be a growth process.”
Toronto was quickly back on the clock with two second-round picks. At No. 22, they drafted forward Teonni Key out of Kentucky, to help fill a void in their frontcourt. Wright Rogers told the media that they had three potential frontcourt players on their draft board: Angela Dugalic, Frieda Bühner and Key. With the first two drafted before the 22nd pick, the Tempo were glad to pick up Key in a very guard-heavy draft pool.
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Their last two picks were Saffron Shiels at No. 26 and Charlise Dunn at No. 36, both Australian, with Dunn coming out of Davidson. Wright Rogers confirmed after the Draft that both players would not be coming over to training camp or the WNBA this season. In choosing to stash these picks, the Tempo are making sure they are prepared for the next few years of WNBA action, where they will be involved in three consecutive expansion drafts between 2028 and 2030.
There was another addition to the Tempo in the late hours of draft night, as the team signed its first Canadian player. Sources told The IX Sports exclusively that Kia Nurse and the Tempo agreed to a deal to bring the WNBA All-Star and Canadian Olympian to Toronto for the team’s inaugural season. The Tempo officially announced Nurse’s signing on Tuesday morning.
Nurse, who is from Hamilton, Ontario, has been a staple of the Canada Basketball program for over a decade. She is a two-time NCAA Champion (2015, 2016) with the UConn Huskies, and was drafted No. 10 overall in 2018 to the New York Liberty. On the international stage, Nurse is a former WNBL Most Valuable Player and has been to three Olympic Games with Team Canada. In her 2022 comeback from injury, she helped Canada to a fourth-place finish at the FIBA World Cup in Australia.
After playing last season with the Chicago Sky, Nurse will make history as the Tempo’s first Canadian player in her eighth WNBA season. More than just a veteran presence on a new expansion team, Nurse will become an ambassador for the WNBA’s expansion into Canada.
“To have the opportunity to play at home, for Canada’s team, means everything to me,” said Nurse in a statement released by the Tempo. “This country has supported me throughout my career, and being part of the Tempo as the WNBA comes to Canada is incredibly meaningful. I’m proud to represent Canada, will be proud to wear this jersey, and excited to help build something special here.”
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The pieces are starting to come together for a Tempo team that had a very short window to build a roster from scratch. Now, they’ll head into training camp to solidify the final 12 players who will make the official opening day roster, plus two developmental players.
“Once they get on the court, everyone speaks the same language. Everyone’s coming from so many different places and levels and years of experience, but basketball is what brings us together,” Wright Rogers said of building chemistry in limited time. “They are nipping at the bud to touch down in Toronto. I think once they get on that court, you’ll really feel that excitement shine through.”
The countdown is on to the Toronto Tempo’s first game, the home opener at Coca-Cola Coliseum on May 8.