Phoenix Mercury assistant general manager Monica Wright Rogers is leaving to join the WNBA’s expansion team Toronto Tempo as their first general manager.
ESPN’s Sham Charania and Alexa Phillipou broke the news on Wednesday about the former WNBA player and executive being hired by Toronto.
Wright Rogers worked under the Mercury’s former GM Jim Pitman when he hired her in January 2023. She continued her assistant GM position when Pitman stepped down and was replaced by Nick U’Ren in October that same year.
“No one has earned this more than Monica through both her work and her character,” U’Ren told The Athletic. “I am beyond grateful for her friendship and what she has taught me during our time together. Toronto is so fortunate to have Monica’s kindness, preparedness and extensive basketball experience.”
The league has expanded from 12 to 15 franchises over the past year. Toronto is the league’s first Canadian team, and will begin play alongside Portland in 2026. The other expansion team, Golden State Valkyries, will start playing next season.
Wright Rogers’ new Tempo GM job adds to several high moments in her personal and professional career.
She played for the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm from 2010-16 and won two titles with Minnesota in 2011 and 2013. She’s the all-time leading scorer at her alma mater Virginia. That’s where she earned ACC Player of the Year, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and WBCA Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2010, and had No. 12 her college jersey retired by the school in 2012.
Wright Rogers is a former assistant coach at Liberty University and Virginia. She joined the Mercury as an assistant GM who helmed the scouting department for both college and pro players, and handled communication with the WNBA’s front office and compliance.
The Tempo has yet to hire a head coach, which will be one of Wright Rogers’ first orders of business.
(This story has been updated with new information.)
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mercury assistant general manager named Toronto Tempo GM
