Despite moments of brilliance and their best shorthanded effort, the Toronto Tempo were unable to snap their losing streak, falling to the Golden State Valkyries 83 – 75.
We break down the Good, Bad, and Outlook from the game.
The Good
First and foremost, we have to give a big congratulations to Marina Mabrey for being announced as an all-star reserve! Like Nyara Sabally, we can’t believe she is a first-time All-Star, and we are thrilled that she is representing her incredible first season with the Tempo. Congrats, Chef Mabrey!
Unfortunately, in this game, the famously smothering and physical Golden State defense made it a difficult night for Mabrey. She finished with 11 points on 2-for-9 shooting, while also committing five turnovers.
While Mabrey had a tough night, her teammates stepped up. Isabelle Harrison reached a new career high, scoring 24 points along with eight rebounds. The Tempo may have found a winning combination by dumping it to Izzy at the top of the key and letting her drive to the lane or pull up for a mid-range jumper. There were times when the Valkyries stormed her and caused some turnovers, but this strategy was largely successful.
During parts of the game, the Tempo also showed excellent ball movement. There were multiple pick-and-rolls, slip screens, and cutting actions in the first half.
We also wish we could bottle up the third quarter and watch the Tempo play like that every quarter of every game. The Tempo are a different team when they can get steals and get on the break. The Coca Cola Coliseum was popping off with every fast break. You could feel the energy feeding the players and giving them extra pep in their step.
Beyond the fast break, the Tempo went shot for shot against the Valkyries in the 3rd quarter to turn a ten-point deficit to a two-point lead heading into the 4th. Coach Sandy Brondello stated that the team needed to “[get] our pace back in the second half” and the third quarter was a showcase of when the Tempo are at their best.
The Bad
After a brilliant third quarter, the fourth quarter began with the Valkyries going on a 12 – 0 run that really took the wind out of the Tempo’s sails.
While there were some questionable calls and some questionable non-calls that did not go the Tempo’s way, we must tip our hat to Golden State. Through solid team building and an established team identity, the Valkyries have already become the Lernaean Hydra of the WNBA – a serpentine monster that can regrow multiple heads whenever you chop one off.
Like the Hydra, the Valkyries’ depth means their defensive tenacity and offensive game plan never seems to drop off, regardless of whether the players on the floor are starters or coming off the bench. In this game, Janelle Salaun and Kaitlyn Chen – two bench players for Golden State who could be starters on plenty of other teams in the W – combined for 42 of the Valkyries’ 83 points.
The fact that any player on the Valkyries can shine on any given night is simply exceptional and worthy of envy. This is not to mention that Golden State’s All-Star, Gabby Williams, only played 18 minutes and had to leave the game in the third quarter due to a back injury.
On the Tempo side, Nyara Sabally also had to leave the game with a knee issue in the second quarter. As reported on the broadcast, Toronto is third in most player games lost this season due to injury.
Ultimately, the Tempo just didn’t have the depth and consistent scoring to keep up with this well-rounded Golden State team.
The Outlook
Up next, the Toronto Tempo begin the opening leg of their Cross-Canada Series, hosting the Dallas Wings at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Excitement is building as Toronto hopes to set a new professional women’s basketball attendance record; the venue can hold 22,114 fans for basketball, which would beat the current record of 22,076. This is the first of two games in Montreal before the series moves to Vancouver for two games in August.
This game will be the Tempo’s second matchup against the Wings. In their first matchup earlier this month, similar to the game against Golden State, the Tempo showed glimpses but have yet to put together a near-flawless 40 minutes of basketball to beat some of the best teams in the WNBA.
Unfortunately, injuries will continue to be a key factor in this game. Nyara Sabally has been listed as out for this game, in addition to Brittney Sykes, Kiki Rice, and Temi Fágbénlé.
We will also be welcoming Kayla Alexander – a veteran big who has had plenty of experience playing for Team Canada – and we hope that she will be able to provide some rim protection for the Tempo.
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[…] and successful Golden State drives to the basket. This stretch was reminiscent of their first matchup where Golden State simply bullied the Tempo to submission. Unfortunately, the same problem reared […]