JCC grad to lead team
Resch named president of WNBA franchise in Toronto
A press conference announcing that the WNBA is adding an expansion franchise in Toronto Thursday was a star-studded affair and a Jackson County Central graduate was one of the stars.
Teresa Resch will lead the team as its president. Resch is a former executive in the front office of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors. She left her post as vice-president of basketball operations in March to join the group seeking the WNBA franchise.
In attendance for the announcement were Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier Doug Ford, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and several celebrities — including rapper and actor Drake, Raptors star Scottie Barnes and former Raptor Kyle Lowry.
The unnamed team will be the WNBA’s 14th franchise and start play in the 2026 season. It will be the league’s first team outside the U.S.
The team’s primary site for home games will be Coca-Cola Coliseum at Exhibition Place in Toronto, but it will also play some games in Montreal and Vancouver.
“We’re going to play across Canada, different markets,” Resch said at the news conference. “We look forward to doing that in a way that no other professional sports team in Canada has ever done. These games are going to matter, and we can’t wait to see you there.”
The team’s colors and branding have not been determined. Resch said the team would be seeking suggestions from the Canadian public. She said she wants a brand that represents Canada and women — and have swag.
“There’s nothing better than a really cool shirt,” Resch said. “Working for Masai (Ujiri), I really understood the importance of swag. He’s the swaggiest guy I know and always needed to have all the cool gear.”
After graduating from JCC, Resch attended Augustana and played volleyball for the Vikings. She moved to Canada 11 years ago, when she started working with the Raptors, and became a citizen two years ago.
“Toronto has a unique perspective,” Resch said of the city’s diversity. “We’re going to use it as an advantage in free agency, so watch out, the other 13 teams. I think there’s a lot of things happening here in Canada and in Toronto specifically that people will find attractive.”
When she first joined the Raptors in 2013, she became one of the first female front-office executives in pro sports. As vice-president of basketball operations, she oversaw the development of the OVO Athletic Centre at Exhibition Place, which opened in 2016.
Resch also launched the team’s G-League affiliate Raptors 905 and led Toronto’s temporary move to Tampa in the 2020-21 season, overseeing construction of the Raptors’ hotel ballroom training facility.
Prior to joining the Raptors, Resch worked for the NBA in the international basketball operations department, where she assisted on the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program.
Currently, she’s an adviser to Canadian Women & Sport’s Commercial Women Sports Initiative and a member of the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities board of directors.
In 2022, the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks interviewed Resch for their open general manager position. Chicago eventually hired interim general manager Kyle Davidson for the permanent job.
