Even the Mascots Have Pronouns Now

The WNBA’s Toronto Tempo rolled out two new mascots—including one using she/they pronouns—igniting fresh backlash over politics in sports.

Story Highlights

Toronto Tempo unveiled two official mascots, Dez the snapping turtle and Dot the arctic hare, at halftime.
Team materials list Dez with she/they pronouns and Dot with she/her, prompting swift online criticism.
The reveal came with a branded push on social media and drew mixed reactions from fans and commentators.
The rollout fits a wider pattern where sports mascots become culture-war flashpoints over identity politics.

Toronto Tempo’s Halftime Mascot Reveal Sparks Debate

Toronto Tempo introduced Dez, a snapping turtle, and Dot, an arctic hare, as the franchise’s official mascots during halftime against the Indiana Fever. The team highlighted their contrasting traits as part of the brand story. The announcement was amplified on social channels with a formal reveal post and sponsor tie-in. The post presented the pair as a core part of the team identity and game-day experience, confirming names and visuals for fans to react to in real time.

Coverage and team materials stated that Dot uses she/her pronouns and Dez uses she/they pronouns. Outlets summarizing the rollout described Dez as a “Borealis Blue Snapping Turtle from Muskoka,” while Dot is framed as the energetic arctic hare counterpart. Reports placed the reveal on the same night the team hosted the Indiana Fever, making the halftime moment a clear stage for attention and engagement with the new brand assets.

Online Reaction Divides Fans Over Pronouns and Politics

Critics slammed the she/they designation as political messaging aimed at pushing identity politics into sports. Commenters called the rollout “disgusting propaganda” and said the pronoun choice, not the costumes, drove the backlash. Headlines emphasized that the team faced ridicule over the non-binary framing, which became the central point of dispute rather than the mascot concept itself. The pushback ranged from mockery to complaints about targeting kids with ideological cues.

Other reactions blended lighthearted jabs with brand critiques, saying the characters felt off for Toronto and should have leaned more into familiar Canadian symbols. That view focused on fit and authenticity rather than pronouns. But the debate kept circling back to identity language, which overshadowed routine branding goals like creating a family-friendly court presence. Supporters framed the move as inclusive and modern, while detractors saw it as another “go woke” moment in women’s basketball.

Why Mascots Keep Becoming Culture-War Targets

Sports teams use mascots to build emotional ties and boost fan engagement. Research on sport branding shows character mascots can create warmer attitudes toward a team than simple logos, which explains why franchises invest in them. But once gender identity or pronoun cues enter the frame, the characters stop being just game-day fun and start serving as symbols in the culture fight. That shift pulls focus away from performance, families, and community to politics and division.

You have GOT TO BE kidding me! 🙄🤦

WNBA expansion team Toronto Tempo has a non-binary mascot, Dez, who uses she/they pronouns.

Dez is described as a “borealis blue” snapping turtle from Muskoka.
This is a joke, right?! 🙄🙄🙄 pic.twitter.com/jDtgMSNneT

— Gary M (@gman5180) August 22, 2026

The Tempo reveal followed a common playbook: launch the characters at a marquee moment, tell a backstory, and push the content on social media. That approach usually works to energize fans. This time, the pronoun framing became the headline, not the team story. For many conservative fans, it felt like another example of sports turning into a lecture. The result was avoidable noise that risks alienating families who want ballgames, not branding battles.