Toronto Tempo make smart move signing Canadian Kia Nurse

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The most fitting choice to be the first Canadian member of the Toronto Tempo was an easy call. It could only have been Kia Nurse.

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The 30-year-old from Hamilton has been a Canadian national team mainstay, one of the most successful female Canadian basketball players and moonlights as a Toronto Raptors analyst for TSN.

When the report by Chelsea Leite surfaced Monday night during the WNBA’s draft that Nurse would be coming home, it was met with universal acclaim from the Canadian basketball community.

While sixth-overall draft selection Kiki Rice, the UCLA star, surely will become one of the faces of the new franchise, along with others, Nurse is an ideal choice for at least Year 1, both on and off the court. The former all-star starter will be a strong veteran mentor for Tempo players, young and veterans alike.

“Kia represents everything this franchise stands for,” Tempo general manager Monica Wright Rogers said in a release.

“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.”

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How good is Kia Nurse?

Nurse started 18 of 44 games last season and averaged 7.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game, while shooting 33.5% from three-point range, ranking 23rd in three-point makes.

Nurse has played for New York, Phoenix, Seattle and Chicago and was a star at the University of Connecticut after dominating Ontario basketball while at Hamilton’s St. Thomas More.

Internationally, Nurse helped lead Canada to gold at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto, scoring 33 points in the final as a 19-year-old. She also has been a member of three Canadian Olympic teams and three that made the Women’s World Cup (including a fourth-place finish in 2022).

“To have the opportunity to play at home, for Canada’s team, means everything to me,” Nurse said in the release.

“This country has supported me throughout my career, and being part of the Tempo as the WNBA comes to Canada is incredibly meaningful. I’m proud to represent Canada, will be proud to wear this jersey, and excited to help build something special here.”

Nurse will become the third member of her family playing professionally in Canada. Brother Darnell is a top defenceman with the Edmonton Oilers and cousin Sarah a PWHL standout with Vancouver (and previously Toronto).

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