Kia Nurse of Canada National Team during the Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournaments Group Phase in Istanbul, Turkey on March 17.BURAK BASTURK/Getty Images
The Toronto Tempo have signed Kia Nurse, one of the most recognizable players in Canadian basketball.
The expansion team announced Tuesday they’ve acquired the veteran WNBA guard, also a three-time Canadian Olympian. The 30-year-old from nearby Hamilton adds leadership to the new team, versatility and a connection to Canadian fans.
“Little me in Hamilton 20 years ago, this would have been in my wildest dreams, and I wouldn’t even have thought this was a possibility,” Nurse said in a video posted to the Tempo’s Instagram account. “This is the most exciting scenario for me. The WNBA is here in Canada. The Toronto Tempo are here. That is a testament to the growth of basketball and the hunger that you fans have shown.”
She is the team’s first Canadian signing.
“Kia represents everything this franchise stands for,” said Monica Wright Rogers, the team’s general manager. “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.”
After winning two NCAA titles with the UConn Huskies, Nurse was drafted 10th overall by the New York Liberty in 2018.
She holds career averages of 8.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists through 245 games (156 starts) with the WNBA’s Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, Los Angeles Sparks, Seattle Storm and most recently the Chicago Sky.
Her best season was 2019 – including 13.7 points per game and a start in the WNBA All-Star Game. Nurse later tore her anterior cruciate ligament during the 2021 WNBA playoffs, missed the entire 2022 season and battled to get back to herself.
During the 2025 WNBA season, Nurse appeared in 44 games (18 starts) and averaged 7.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
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Nurse has been a constant on Canada’s senior women’s national team since her teens. She’s appeared in three Olympics (2016, 2020, 2024) and a trio of FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cups (2014, 2018, 2022).
“This country has supported me throughout my career and being part of the Tempo as the WNBA comes to Canada is incredibly meaningful,” Nurse said in a statement. “I’m proud to represent Canada, will be proud to wear this jersey and excited to help build something special here.”
Nurse has also played summer basketball during her pro career – in the Women’s National Basketball League in Australia (where she won two championships), and Athletes Unlimited in Nashville.
On top of her work on the court, Nurse is also a basketball television analyst on TSN for Toronto Raptors and NCAA games. Canadians also recognize Nurse due to her robust endorsement profile, starring in commercials for a list of brands including Folgers and Google Pixel.
With her family, Nurse founded Kia Nurse Elite, a premier girls basketball program based in Ontario that provides high-level training, competition in U.S. tournaments, and exposure to college scouts, helping girls secure NCAA/U Sports opportunities.
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Local basketball enthusiasts may recall Nurse’s own teen years, when she led her Hamilton high school girls’ basketball team, St. Thomas More, to gold at the AAAA OFSAA Championship in 2012 and 2013. She was the school’s athlete of the year during her freshman and sophomore years.
“Canada’s team couldn’t be complete without one of our own,” read a post on the Tempo’s official Instagram page.
There was a quick reply from the Toronto Sceptres social media, the team’s co-tenants inside Coca-Cola Coliseum from the Professional Women’s Hockey League: “Welcome Home @kianurse!!”
Nurse will now play regularly close to home, in the city where she burst into the spotlight as a 19-year-old leading Canada to its first-ever Pan Am Games basketball gold medal in 2015. She memorably scored 68 points in five games, including a 33-point performance in the final over the U.S. She was chosen as Canada’s flag bearer for the closing ceremonies.
Canada Basketball chimed in on their social media channels Tuesday about Nurse joining the country’s first WNBA team:
“Right where she belongs,” said their post.
Tempo add centre Temi Fagbenle
The Tempo also signed centre Temi Fagbenle on Tuesday as the expansion club continues to build its roster.
The 6-foot-4 Fagbenle started 38 of 39 games last season for the expansion Golden State Valkyries, averaging 7.4 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting over 50 per cent from the field.
“Temi brings consistency and toughness to everything she does,” said Wright Rogers. “She plays the game the right way – defending, rebounding, finishing around the rim and doing the work that impacts winning.“
Fagbenle has appeared in 130 WNBA games and won a championship with the Minnesota Lynx in 2017.
Born in Baltimore and raised in London, she represented Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics.
– With files from The Canadian Press