Our crew is not from Toronto. Ordering online has been hit and miss, with sizing all over the place. So we saved our pennies for when we came to Toronto for some games in early June. We thought surely we would find merch everywhere!? Ugh, we were wrong.
Our goals were to find nice looking gear in our sizes, and to pick up our favourite players’ jerseys – with the opportunity to try on before buying. Here’s what we found, first by store, and then regarding sizing.
Peace Collective
All the gear from the Peace Collective website appeared in store. It is definitely not cheap but high quality. Sadly sizes were quite limited at both the Distillery District and smaller Union Station location. Each store only displays one or two of each item and staff advised they have other sizes in the back, but when requested, only one item we were looking at was available to try in our size.
Real Sports Apparel
We had expected to be able to get custom jerseys at Real Sports Apparel at Scotiabank Arena; They had stock of Rice, Nurse, and Mabrey, but sadly after a check in with the manager, they said that for any other player, they would send the jersey off to a 3rd party and estimated it would take two weeks to get back!? It would also cost an additional $100!?
Their selection of shirts, etc. was pretty basic, at best(I am seriously considering the Roots jacket, but at close to $800 this might have to be a “maybe if we make playoffs” decision). Other than the jacket, the black hooded sweatshirt was a standout item, and won’t cost you half your paycheque. It also appears to be on the Tempo online store.
Sport Chek
A small section of WNBA gear was nestled into a corner of the Sport Chek across from Scotiabank Arena . Of course there were umpteen Caitlyn Clark jerseys. A few baseball caps, but no snapbacks. Tempo jerseys were present in smaller numbers and they can print, but only Mabrey, Rice, and Nurse. No full customization is allowed (eg: your own name) as they receive lettering packs per player. They did not have lettering packs for any other players but were expecting Sykes soon. They did not yet have any lettering for the Rebel (hydrogen blue) jerseys despite having a few blank jerseys on site.
We found some nice looking women’s crop sweatshirts, but found the fit to be a bit awkward – especially on people with breasts.
Canadian Tire
Like finding a needle in a haystack, Canadian Tire on Dundas had the worst selection. We wandered around the lower level through a sea of blue jays gear for a while, then through some various-nation soccer merch (yes, world cup is on) then finally found some Tempo merch; two shirts and some hats in a corner, right next to some PWHL jerseys. There were Tempo basketballs in the ball section, a few aisles away. If you are on a budget, start here. The grey tee is kids, but goes up to a size XL which would be comparable to a women’s S. The hats (adjustable ball caps) were only $20.
Roots
Into the Eaton Centre, Roots has a small store with a decent WNBA section. The prices are high, but the quality is quite good as well. The store seemed to have greater size availability in the items they’re stocking. I don’t love that some of the gear has the Roots logo larger than the Tempo logo, but I guess it’s expected.
Coca-Cola Coliseum
The best merch is definitely at Coca-Cola Coliseum, but it is counter-style service. Expect a big queue. You request items and they will bring it up. The experience was a bit rushed but some of the tellers were more chill than others. Several of our crew held their ground and managed to try on items before buying. We found lots of hats, some great shirts, and the standard Mabrey, Rice, Nurse jersey. At the game on June 10th, they had added a Sykes jersey to the list.
Sizing & Online
Given the lack of sizing in store, and also the lack of players available on jerseys, online remains a top option – unfortunately. Here’s what we’ve learned.
Jerseys
While we didn’t find good customizing options locally (we want Sabally and Jûskaitė!), we did get to try on and buy some jerseys. A youth XL fit for someone who typically wears a men’s XS. The S jersey fit our friend who typically wears a women’s medium. We found that the Medium jersey fits those who usually wear a women’s L or men’s S.
Tempo Tees
These seem to fit most true to size. Some are labelled youth, some women, some unisex.
Roots
Having tried (and failed) with some online orders, we can advise that the Unisex gear fits larger than advertised, but the women’s fits small (and yes, we did measure).
Peace Collective
We’ve found that the Peace Collective gear fits larger than listed – this isn’t just a factor of boxy fits. A Women’s L tee turned out to be XL or larger. A Unisex S tee fits boxy and well for a woman typically wearing a L.
TLDR
If you want a custom Jersey consider trying one on for sizing, but ordering online so you can pick which player you want (and possibly save money). The merch at Coca-Cola Coliseum was our favorite and some of it is exclusive (the Rice, Mabrey, and Nurse player-feature tees). Peace Collective and Roots have som neat stuff, but are pricey and sizing can be a challenge. Canadian Tire offers some of the cheapest (but limited) merch if you’re just trying to get something basic.
Overall, finding the right merch continues to be hard. Availability is questionable, some things are online only, others are in person only. If you see something you like, buy it. That said, we’ve witnessed new availability emerge over the course of a week, so keep looking (and keep asking the team and league to give fans what they want)! Go Tempo!