THE JOURNEY TO TIP-OFF STARTS HERE: WNBA TORONTO LAUNCHES NAMEYOURTEAM.CA

Canadians are invited to share everything from name ideas to sounds and pictures in a national "call-for-inspiration", the first step in a multi-phase naming process

TORONTO, Aug. 8, 2024 /CNW/ - Starting today, Canadians have the opportunity to make the ultimate assist: helping shape the country's very first WNBA brand. The team has just launched NameYourTeam.ca, a "call-for-inspiration" that invites fans to share ideas, hopes and suggestions for the new team's identity.

"From the moment this franchise was announced, we've promised that this will be Canada's team," explains WNBA Toronto Team President Teresa Resch. "That commitment starts today, by inviting every Canadian into the process of shaping our new name and logo."

WNBA TORONTO LAUNCHES NAMEYOURTEAM.CA (CNW Group/WNBA Toronto)

The ask is for so much more than name ideas (although name ideas are certainly welcome): the team is looking for everything from colour recommendations to personal anecdotes to sounds and pictures - anything that encapsulates what Canadians want this team to stand for.

The launch of NameYourTeam.ca represents the beginning of an open brand development process that will unfold as follows:

• The call-for-inspiration: Until August 28, Canadians are invited to input into the process through the NameYourTeam.ca website or by texting WNBA to 1-833-662-3664. Everything Canadians share will be reviewed by the group of designers and advisors that have been assembled to create the team's official brand.
• Shortlist development: The team will evaluate potential names and brand ideas - including consultation with a community council, team partners, and team and league leadership - to develop a shortlist of options.
• Legal vetting: The shortlist will then undergo a full legal review, including a trademark search.
• Final selection: Name choices that clear legal review will be shared with Canadians through the team's blog and social channels.
• The announcement: Team and league leadership will select a final name.

The team expects the entire process to be complete before the end of 2024.

Canadians can get updates on the team's branding journey by following @wnba_toronto on both Instagram and TikTok and by reading a blog on the process that will be updated through NameYourTeam.ca. A more in-depth take on every stage of this process will also be shared through a new podcast being produced by the team, which will launch in mid-August.

"Our goal is to create the most inclusive and participatory process in sports history, because we know that we're not just creating a brand," explains Resch, "we're building a community."

About WNBA Toronto
In May 2024, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced its expansion into Canada by awarding Toronto an expansion team, the league's first outside the United States.  The new team, which will be owned and operated by Kilmer Sports Ventures, will begin play in the 2026 season as the WNBA's 14th franchise. Larry Tanenbaum, Chairman of Kilmer Sports Ventures and a 30-year veteran of building championship-caliber teams, is also Chairman of the NBA Board of Governors and Chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the NBA's Toronto Raptors, NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, MLS' Toronto FC and other professional sports franchises.  Under his leadership, the Raptors won their first NBA championship in 2019.

SOURCE Toronto Tempo

To request an interview with WNBA Toronto President Teresa Resch, please contact: Bri Bijman, Craft Public Relations, [email protected], 416-206-5242