For WNBA Toronto, it all begins with a name and logo but evolution key to long-term success

Whatever the WNBA Toronto team names itself, history suggests most people will probably be unhappy initially.

The six PWHL franchise recently went through the same process — anecdotally, at least, as the logo-less first season was received coolly, the summer's nickname announcement mildly and last week's jersey release appears to have been met warmly.

Golden State, which will play its first WNBA season next year, revealed its nickname in May as the Valkyries.

The newest NWSL team, BOS Nation FC, wound up apologizing after its launch campaign caught criticism from the transgender community and others in October.

WNBA Toronto may be next up to reveal its nickname and logo — which is "likely to be early in the new year," according to a team official — but that's only the beginning of building its brand.

As it prepares to navigate those treacherous early waters, the team endeavoured to be open about the process — it launched a podcast on its brand strategy, welcomed public suggestions for its nickname and its Instagram page includes posts titled "four things to consider when designing a brand."

In a September interview with MacLean's, team president Teresa Resch said choosing the item at the top of her to-do list was "easy."

"We need an identity. A logo, colours, a name that people can rally around. WNBA Toronto? That does not have a ring to it," Resch said.

WATCH | What WNBA team means for Toronto, players and fans:

Keep expectations in check

John Lashway, a communications executive who helped launch the Raptors in 1995, cautioned that the franchise should keep its expectations for the initial rollout in check.

"If they can get half the audience to love it right away, that would be a landslide victory. But eventually people like the name or the colours or they won't," he said.

Lashway, who recently assisted in the creation of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, noted that whatever the team does should be creative and distinct, while also evolving over time.

The Raptors were first introduced with the purple Barney-esque logo before featuring the claw more prominently. In 2014, its 'We The North' campaign was seen as widely successful.

"I think the Raptors did a great job of taking in names. Because at the time it was pretty popular, it was on the heels of Jurassic Park. But it withstood the test of time. And part of that is because they shifted their branding a little bit," Lashway said.

In August, more than 5,000 responses were recorded on nameyourteam.ca with ideas for the team's nickname, colours and stories of inspiration.

One of the most popular suggestions, with 13 per cent of submissions, was to work with some sort of clawed animal.

Lashway said the team should take care to be "distinctly unique" from the Raptors while not straying too far from what's worked in the city.

"I think if they deviate too far from that, there's a bit of a risk in needing to consistently explain who you are. I think they're smart enough to know that a WNBA team will be popular out of the gate, but it's not gonna be widely embraced by five million people living in GTA," he said.

Resch told MacLean's that over two-thirds of submissions were more than eight words long.

"One person even said, 'The name should have something to do with air, because the women are going to jump in the air. And air is so important in Canada because of its natural beauty,'" Resch said. "That the pick should exude a good vibe — very light, you know? That wasn't even a name; it was just a feeling."

Indeed, there is more to building the WNBA Toronto brand than just the name, logo and colours — 'We The North' worked because it forged an identity.

WNBA Toronto is already leaning into its Canadianness. Larry Tanenbaum, the owner, referred to it as "Canada's team" and said it'd play games in Vancouver and Montreal in addition to Toronto.

Resch told MacLean's that over two-thirds of submissions were more than eight words long. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)

Canadian talent growing

Meanwhile, Canadian talent is growing at all levels of the game. Bridget Carleton was a key starter on a Minnesota Lynx that fell one win shy of a championship. Aaliyah Edwards enjoyed a successful rookie season with the Washington Mystics.

In the college ranks, Natalie Achonwa recently began her post-playing career as an assistant coach at the University of Michigan, where 18-year-old freshman Syla Swords recorded 27 points in her first game. Duke's Toby Fournier, another Canadian freshman, has also impressed.

Lashway, the Portland native whose WNBA fandom dates to when his hometown had a team in the early 2000s, said it's important that the team brings Canadian influence.

"They're fun games to go to, the athletes sign autographs …. and I think if you've got some local flavour to that, it really enhances that," he said.

Bridget Carleton has starred for the Canadian women's national team and is coming off a run to the WNBA Finals with the Minnesota Lynx. (Abbie Parr/The Associated Press)

Once the novelty wears off, the most important thing for WNBA Toronto will be finding on-court success.

The Golden State Valkyries named their general manager in May, roughly one year before their debut. They hired a coach in October, the same month they learned they'd be awarded the fifth pick in the 2025 entry draft.

In the expansion draft, where most of the Valkyries' roster will be filled, each other team will be able to protect six players, leaving another six exposed.

Golden State will select one player from each of the 12 current rosters. Their picks will be made on Dec. 6.

When Toronto enters the following year, it can likely expect many of the same guidelines — with the caveat that Portland coming in concurrently may cause some changes.

All of that team-building will be crucial for WNBA Toronto's long-term success, which Lashway said it should not take for granted.

"The Raptors had a big first season, and then the attendance dropped way off the second year, dropped off even to the third year, and then we opened up Air Canada Centre, so we got that bounce," he recalled.

"I would hope that doesn't happen with the WNBA team, but that's typical of what happens with expansion teams. So they need to be strategic in how they're going to make sure it doesn't."

It all begins with a name and logo.