The Toronto Tempo unveiled a “non-binary” turtle mascot Tuesday in an apparent swipe at Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham.
The expansion franchise introduced Dez, a “butch” Borealis Blue Snapping Turtle that uses she/they pronouns, alongside a companion named Dot, an arctic hare that uses she/her pronouns. The team rolled out the pair at Scotiabank Arena during its home game against Cunningham’s Fever.
In its announcement, the Tempo said Dez hails from Muskoka, Ontario, has a fondness for soft-shell tacos, and is a Taurus. Chief Marketing Officer Whitney Bell framed the duo as a natural fit for the club.
“From the beginning, we wanted our mascots to feel distinctly Tempo, rooted in who we are as a Canadian team,” Bell said. “Dez and Dot have completely different personalities, but they’re better together.”
New York Post reported that the Tempo made a point of announcing the queer mascot during the matchup with Cunningham, who has been outspoken about defending women’s sports from transgender athletes. Fans booed the Fever guard inside and outside the arena, according to the Post Millennial.
Cunningham scored 13 points on 3-of-4 shooting and went 3-for-3 from behind the arc as the Fever beat the Tempo, 101-95. Dez joins the Seattle Storm’s Doppler as one of only two non-binary mascots in the WNBA.
The reveal landed days after WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert accused unnamed critics of exploiting the league amid the transgender debate. Speaking Thursday in Dallas alongside Wings CEO Greg Bibb, Engelbert denounced what she called outside agitators.
“People are trying to use the league to sow divisiveness,” Engelbert said. “We’re being the center of political football for people who have never watched the WNBA, never have written about the WNBA or reported on the WNBA.”
The controversy escalated this month after former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White declared for the WNBA draft, saying they identify as women. The league’s collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.”
The mascot rollout follows a warning from Alliance Defending Freedom, which told the WNBA on Friday it may face legal liability for silencing fans who support fairness in women’s sports.
Cunningham set off the firestorm in a July ESPN profile, when the Fever guard said she wants to protect young girls who “shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
The mascot rollout drew a wave of reaction online, where users piled on the Tempo and the league.