The Toronto Tempo introduced two new mascots at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night, including one character using she and they pronouns.
The Canadian expansion franchise unveiled the characters at halftime during their Women's National Basketball Association matchup against the Indiana Fever.
Dot, an Arctic Hare, uses she and her pronouns, while Dez, a Snapping Turtle, uses she and they pronouns.
According to team officials, the pair offers a modern twist on the classic fable of the tortoise and the hare, emphasizing that knowing when to change pace can be just as important as the pace itself.
"From the beginning, we wanted our mascots to feel distinctly Tempo - rooted in who we are as a Canadian team," said Whitney Bell, Chief Marketing Officer for the Tempo.
"Dez and Dot have completely different personalities, but they're better together," Bell added. "One knows when to slow things down, the other knows when to turn the energy all the way up."
The Tempo are competing in their inaugural season as Canada's first WNBA franchise. The team hosted the game at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
The timing of the announcement added a layer of intrigue to the evening, coming on the same night the Tempo hosted guard Sophie Cunningham and the Indiana Fever.
Debate Over Player Eligibility
Cunningham has recently been at the center of intense league-wide debate after expressing her views on biological gender participation in women's sports during an interview with ESPN.
Cunningham's stance sparked uproar around the league, drawing both criticism and support alike from fans and observers.
Two former National Basketball Association players, Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, declared themselves eligible for the WNBA draft in an apparent protest.
Freedom, who played in the NBA for 11 seasons and stands at 6ft 10in, announced his plans to declare for the WNBA draft earlier this month amid the ongoing debate surrounding transgender athlete involvement in sports.
The former hoops star, who allegedly sent a provocative letter to the WNBA commissioner, has sparked widespread criticism with his decision.
Meanwhile, since Freedom's statement of intent, White has followed suit by also declaring for the WNBA draft.
The 35-year-old White, who played three games in the NBA for the Sacramento Kings, told Fox News Digital that he is now transgender and wants to join players such as Caitlin Clark and Cunningham on the court next season.
White later doubled down by posting a picture of himself wearing a wig on social media.
League Response and Task Force Ruling
WNBA general managers and presidents met last week as part of an anti-hate task force to discuss athlete eligibility amid the transgender debate.
Despite the uproar, league officials determined that there were no issues with eligibility criteria, suggesting that no changes would be made.
Following the meeting, the league announced it had ruled that there were "no immediate eligibility matters affecting" the WNBA at this time.
WNBA leaders also addressed the recent controversy, criticizing what they described as "bad-faith efforts" to "marginalize others."
"Today's meeting covered a wide range of topics, including ongoing discussions on transgender athletes and the continued hate and vitriol directed at players online," a league spokesman said in a statement, via The New York Post.
"We will continue to engage all league stakeholders in the coming weeks and months," the spokesman added. "We will approach these important conversations thoughtfully and in alignment with the values of our league."
The statement concluded: "There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others."
