The WNBA’s struggle over understanding what its “W” stands for set the stage for a new “L” in the form of a mascot with its own special place in the alphabet soup.
Given its history of operating at a loss, one would think that, between purported racism and missed layups on gender ideology, the Women’s National Basketball Association had already maxed out on alienating audiences. Instead, the Toronto Tempo proved the “W” actually means woke as the team revealed its mascot duo featuring a turtle with “non-binary” pronouns.
Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena, the same night Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham rolled into town with the Indiana Fever, the Tempo revealed its play on the tortoise and the hare with Dot the Arctic Hare and Dez the Snapping Turtle. Sporting short blue hair, the press release specified that the soft shell taco-loving turtle has “she/they” pronouns.
“Dez (she/they) is a Borealis Blue Snapping Turtle from Muskoka, Ontario,” read the release that surprisingly did not include a land acknowledgment. “Their name is inspired by decibel, a nod to their love of music and role as the more measured half of the duo. Dez is calm, clever and always thinking a few steps ahead.”
Meet your Official Toronto Tempo Mascots: Dez & Dot.
Together they are patience and passion, rhythm and speed.
Official Mascot Reveal presented by @TurboTaxCanada pic.twitter.com/yhMQUMhuf6
— Toronto Tempo (@TempoBasketball) August 19, 2026
WNBA team Toronto Tempo unveils new non-binary mascot with She/They pronouns.
Dez the mascot, who uses She/They pronouns, identifies as a “borealis blue” snapping turtle from Muskoka. pic.twitter.com/i1lFdfzWPO
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) August 21, 2026
Canada, they’re home! A warm welcome for Dez & Dot.
Official Mascot Reveal presented by @TurboTaxCanada pic.twitter.com/lwf6JGjACX
— Toronto Tempo (@TempoBasketball) August 19, 2026
In her own statement on the mascots, the team’s chief marketing officer Whitney Bell said, “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.”
Recently, Cunningham in particular has taken heat from the league and leftist activists for unequivocally affirming that girls’ and women’s sports are no place for boys and men. Posturing on inclusivity found former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White declaring themselves for the 2027 WNBA draft, leading to ongoing discussions from the league, which said in part, “There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others.”
Meanwhile, Cunningham has continued to endear fans across the nation as America’s sweetheart, coupling her normal views with normal behavior like singing along to Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue” during a night at a bar with Fever Fans. Worth noting, Indiana defeated Toronto 101-95 the night of the mascot introduction.
Reactions to the rainbow flag-waving mascot concluded that a money-losing league catering to such a marginal group of people must be obsessed or suffering from “some kind of mental disorder.”
It’s definitely obsessive and compulsive.
— Gunny P (@GunnyP1775) August 21, 2026
This is amazing, a league that has lost money every year since and struggles for relevance shoots themselves in the foot every single chance they get! Instead of trying to draw more fans to seats they do these stupid marketing ploys aimed at .05% of the population??
— Lahlon Vance Pace (@PaceVance) August 22, 2026
Never in my life would I give a dollar to these psychopaths in the WNBA
First they can’t sort out what a woman is, now lesbian couples as mascots for children…
Absolute joke
— Marty McFly (@MartyMcFlyy99) August 19, 2026
I would pay really good money to get the recordings from the meetings coming up with this. Has to be absolute woke gold.
— Geoff Dornes (@DornesGeoff) August 21, 2026
WNBA marketing people are morons! They denigrate the stars that boost viewership and promote crap that alienates the majority of people. Too bad there isn’t an alternative league that could profit from this self destruction!
— Anonymous Squirrel Libertarian (@DinkDev) August 21, 2026
— TexanGirl (@texangirl123) August 21, 2026
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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