The Toronto Tempo unveiled its new mascots to the WNBA world with the box-office Indiana Fever in attendance at the Coca-Cola Coliseum.
The Tempo are playing their first-ever season of WNBA basketball in 2026. While they aren’t instant contenders with a 10-24 record so far, they have already captivated their local fanbase.
With Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham’s Fever as their opponents, the Tempo used the massive attention on their game to unveil their new mascots, making a huge statement with the same.
Tempo’s new mascot revealed as non-binary amid trans athlete debate in the WNBA
Tempo revealed their new mascots, Dez and Dot, against the Fever.
Dez is a Borealis Blue Snapping Turtle from Muskoka, Ontario, who identifies with she/they pronouns. Dez’s name is inspired by ‘decibel’ to recognise their love for music.
Creating a team mascot as a non-binary character is a welcome progressive move by the Tempo, who are likely trying to send a message of inclusivity with Dez at a time when gender identity has come under massive scrutiny in the WNBA.
The reveal of the mascots came with the Fever in attendance, which also allowed this presentation to happen in front of Sophie Cunningham, whose comments to ‘protect biological women’ led to the massive trans athletes debate that’s dominated the WNBA over the last month.
The other mascot is named Dot, an Arctic Hare named for Toronto’s longtime nickname, T-Dot. She has been described as the ‘hype woman’ of the duo, with endless energy and acrobatic ability.
Tempo’s statement on their new mascot duo
The Tempo’s Chief Marketing Officer, Whitney Bell, released a statement discussing the WNBA team’s new mascots after their reveal on Tuesday.
“From the beginning, we wanted our mascots to feel distinctly Tempo – rooted in who we are as a Canadian team. Dez and Dot have completely different personalities, but they’re better together. One knows when to slow things down, the other knows when to turn the energy all the way up. That balance felt like such a natural expression of Tempo, and we can’t wait for our fans to get to know them.”
The Dez and Dot pairing is a clear Canadian twist on the tortoise and the hare story, with Dez as a slow-moving but fun turtle while Dot is the endlessly energetic hare.
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