Nurse becomes 1st Canadian to sign with Tempo

The Toronto Tempo will open their inaugural season with a Canadian on the roster after signing Kia Nurse on Tuesday.

The Hamilton, Ontario, native becomes the first homegrown member of the first WNBA team located outside of the United States.

"Kia represents everything this franchise stands for," Tempo general manager Monica Wright Rogers said in a statement. "She's a world-class athlete, a proven professional, and someone who has helped grow the game in Canada at every level. Having a Canadian player of her stature join Canada's first WNBA team is incredibly special, and it reinforces our commitment to building a team the entire country can rally behind."

Nurse said: "To have the opportunity to play at home, for Canada's team, means everything to me. This country has supported me throughout my career, and being part of the Tempo as the WNBA comes to Canada is incredibly meaningful."

Nurse spent the 2025 campaign with the Chicago Sky, where she averaged 7.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. She joins her sixth team in her last six seasons (she missed the entire 2022 WNBA campaign recovering from an ACL tear) after previous stints with the New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, Los Angeles Sparks, and Seattle Storm.

The 30-year-old owns career averages of 8.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game.

Her impressive resume features a pair of NCAA titles at UConn (2015-16), two WNBL titles in Australia, WNBL MVP honors in 2020, and a 2019 WNBA All-Star selection. Nurse has also represented Canada as a member of three Olympic squads (2016, 2020, 2024).

Toronto participated in the franchise's first WNBA draft Monday. The Tempo selected Kiki Rice, Teonni Key, Saffron Shiels, and Charlise Dunn.