The Toronto Tempo is already a popular team in the WNBA, and it is only season one. So much so that ESPN is announcing a new documentary series on the rise of the team and Ryan Reynolds is involved.
Setting the Tempo is a four-part ESPN Originals production that will go behind the scenes of one of the biggest moments in Toronto sports—the launch of the city’s first WNBA franchise.
And there are some great names attached to it.
The series includes an all-star lineup of executive producers, including tennis legend Serena Williams, actor Ryan Reynolds, basketball executive Masai Ujiri and Lilly Singh.
“With the incredible growth of the WNBA and women’s basketball, this is the perfect time to showcase the launch of Canada’s first WNBA franchise,” said Lindsay Rovegno, vice president and executive producer, ESPN Originals. “Setting the Tempo presents a rare opportunity for fans to see what it truly takes to build a successful organization, shining a spotlight on the female executives whose decisions and vision are laying the foundation for the future.”
The series is directed by Canadian filmmaker Kathleen Jayme, who is best known for other basketball documentaries most prominent The Grizzlie Truth, about the rise and fall of the NBA’s Vancouver Grizzlies. For the series, cameras followed the Tempo’s leadership team as they assembled a roster, created a culture and prepared for the franchise’s historic debut.
According to a news release, at the centre of the story are two women with impressive basketball resumes: head coach Sandy Brondello, a two-time WNBA champion and former Coach of the Year, and general manager Monica Wright Rogers, also a two-time WNBA champion.
For Toronto sports fans, it offers a rare chance to see what happens before the opening tip-off. Every draft pick, free-agent signing and boardroom discussion carries extra weight.
No release date has been announced yet.
But for a city that loves sports as much as Toronto, this behind-the-scenes saga will be hotly anticipated.
