Toronto's New WNBA Team Just Unveiled Not One But TWO Mascots After Months Of Deliberation—And LGBTQ+ Fans Are Digging It

Forget the starting lineup for a second—the Toronto Tempo just introduced new faces to the franchise, and those lashes alone deserve an entrance.

The mascots are the latest additions to a franchise that’s been taking shape for two years. The WNBA officially awarded Toronto an expansion franchise in May 2024, before the Tempo took the court for the inaugural regular-season game on May 8, 2026.

But as the franchise came together, one very important question remained: What would the team mascot be?

Naturally, the Tempo had to tease fans first:

The Tempo apparently knew better than to rush the decision. Rosters change, and players move on, but mascots tend to stick around, making the choice a surprisingly high-stakes assignment. Toronto took its sweet time, too. The season tipped off in May, but fans didn’t get their answer until the team’s August 18 game.

First out of the tunnel was Dot (she/her), an Arctic hare named after Toronto’s longtime T-Dot nickname. And judging by the purple ombré ears, pink nose and matching Tempo headband, Dot understood that becoming a WNBA mascot also meant becoming a fashion girlie.

Clearly, Dot was ready for her close-up:

Dot wasn’t arriving solo. Enter Dez (she/they), a Borealis Blue snapping turtle from Muskoka whose name plays off “decibel,” fitting for a mascot with a love of music. Dez may be the calmer half of the duo, but between the navy fauxhawk, winged liner, and courtside swagger, “low-key” clearly doesn’t apply to the wardrobe.

Consider the crowd officially charmed:

Looks like the New York Liberty’s Ellie the Elephant has some new friends in the WNBA mascot multiverse.

Toronto Tempo Chief Marketing Officer Whitney Bell explained the thinking behind the unlikely duo:

“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.”

Think of Dez and Dot as Toronto’s answer to the tortoise and the hare. Dot brings the Arctic hare’s speed and endless energy, while Dez counters with the snapping turtle’s cool, steady precision—all with a serious WNBA glow-up.

Bell summed up why that pairing clicked for the Tempo:

“That balance felt like such a natural expression of Tempo, and we can't wait for our fans to get to know them."

And LGBTQ+ fans wasted absolutely no time claiming Dez and Dot as their newest WNBA favorites. Between Dot’s glam, Dez’s swagger, and the duo’s contrasting personalities, commenters quickly picked up on some serious butch-femme energy—and they were very much here for it.

Here’s the debut that had everyone talking:

If this feels like an unusually big deal for two mascots, you must be new to the WNBA.

Mascots have become part of how teams express their identity and connect with the communities around them. The perpetually viral Ellie the Elephant is a prime example—she was developed by an all-Black female creative team to reflect the players and local culture.

And judging by the welcome Dez and Dot received online, fans were more than ready to embrace the WNBA’s newest additions:

The Tempo could certainly use that enthusiasm on the court. Toronto sits at 10-25 in its inaugural season after a 12-game losing streak, with a 93-82 loss to the Washington Mystics officially knocking the team out of playoff contention.

Over in New York, the scoreboard tells a different story. The Liberty are 22-15 and sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference standings.

Toronto may be out of the championship race this season, but in the mascot standings? Dez and Dot are already making a strong rookie campaign.