Masai Ujiri Joins Ownership Group of Toronto’s New WNBA Franchise

Former Raptors president Masai Ujiri joined the ownership group of the Toronto Tempo, the city’s inaugural WNBA franchise set to begin play this season, led by billionaire Larry Tanenbaum, with whom Ujiri won the 2019 NBA title. He will work with team president Teresa Resch, general manager Monica Wright Rogers, and head coach Sandy Brondello.

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Since leaving the Raptors, Ujiri has focused on Giants of Africa, UN work, and Zaria Group’s sports-infrastructure projects, such as a new sports city in Rwanda and upcoming complexes in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Mauritania. A 2023 confrontation with a San Francisco-area sheriff’s deputy over credentials at the Raptors’ title celebration led to lawsuits that were later dropped. Ujiri says the incident left a “sour taste” and fuels his drive to win another championship with the Tempo.

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The ownership group includes lead investor Larry Tanenbaum, team president Teresa Resch (who has known Ujiri since 2008), GM Monica Wright Rogers, head coach Sandy Brondello, and Ujiri himself as owner and mentor.

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Ujiri is launching “Tempo Rising,” a mentorship program that gives emerging women-identifying and non-binary coaches professional development, hands-on experience, and guidance from Ujiri, Wright Rogers, and Brondello, aiming to broaden the pipeline of diverse coaching talent in the WNBA.

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Ujiri’s entry signals a high-profile endorsement of women’s professional sports amid rapid growth for the WNBA, women’s soccer and hockey. His infrastructure experience and global network are expected to boost community engagement in Toronto and create pathways for under-represented coaches.

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Ujiri said ownership offers a unique platform for his family and for advancing women’s sports, while also letting him pursue a championship he feels he missed after the police incident. Resch called Ujiri a long-standing mentor whose “big ideas” and team-building expertise will elevate the franchise. Both emphasized a shared commitment to professional development and community impact.

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• “I think women's sports is growing in an incredible way. You see it in the WNBA, in soccer, in hockey, and to bring a brand like this for the first time to a city that I know, a beautiful city that's passionate, that I believe in -- I think this will really resonate,” — Masai Ujiri, Owner, Toronto Tempo

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• “There's a hunger in me because of what happened," he said.” — Masai Ujiri, Owner, Toronto Tempo

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• “Masai has been a mentor of mine since 2008 when I worked one of his camps in Africa," Resch told ESPN.” — Teresa Resch, Team President, Toronto Tempo

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• “I went from having a driver for 12 years because I'm always on the phone, to now being an Uber driver for my kids.” — Masai Ujiri, Owner, Toronto Tempo

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