Tempo president Resch ‘excited’ for sprint to tip-off after alignment on WNBA deal

In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, Toronto Tempo president Teresa Resch heard her phone ring from another room.

Like any of us, Resch was hesitant to check it, perhaps somewhat annoyed by the disturbance to her sleep.

But a thought nagged at her: “Oh, maybe it's about the CBA,” Resch wondered.

And so she got up and checked. Sure enough, in a group chat with the WNBA’s other team presidents, news was spreading that there was indeed a deal in principle on a collective bargaining agreement.

“So that's what woke me up today,” Resch recounted to CBC Sports. “And then you go online, you see different reporters who've been following the process saying that there's good news and then you see the public announcement by both the [Players’ Association] and the W confirming that there's alignment, so awesome to hear that.”

Now, things are about to get real for the Tempo, who have been living in a state of uncertainty ahead of their inaugural season as the WNBA’s first-ever non-American franchise.

Resch was not able to comment on details of the CBA, with a term sheet still to be done followed by ratification by both the players and the league’s board of governors.

However, she said she was confident throughout the process that something would get done.

“There was always an eye on the CBA negotiations as that was impacting our timeline,” she said. “I was always very, very confident there would be a deal — it wasn't a matter of if there was going to be a deal, it was just a matter of when. And the when became March 18, so glad it was today.”

Her giddiness for the conversation around the Tempo to finally turn to basketball, even over the phone, felt palpable.

And with the deal done just in the nick of time, the May 8 home opener against the Washington Mystics is a go.

“More than anything, we're really excited. I think that within the marketplace probably was some hesitancy, but we are all systems go. … We welcome everybody to come along on a ride with us and buy your tickets if you haven't got them yet because they're gonna go like hotcakes,” she said.

Of course, there is plenty of work to do before tip-off.

The Tempo do not have any players, though the behind-the-scenes team has continued to grow under general manager Monica Wright Rogers and head coach Sandy Brondello.