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  • Tempo vs Mercury Game Report – August 29, 2026

    Tempo vs Mercury Game Report – August 29, 2026

    Another tough day at the office for the Toronto Tempo, who tied their largest margin of defeat this season in a 101–69 loss to the Phoenix Mercury.

    Let’s break down the good, the bad and the outlook. 

    The Good

    It is hard to find much “good” at this stage of the season, but as the losses pile up, the Tempo keep showing up. Even with a roster running on life support, Toronto refuses to fold in its inaugural season.

    And that’s the beautiful thing about sport. It’s more than a game! It’s more than the wins and the losses. 

    Watching this Tempo team show up and fight, night after night. Watching the players continue to support each other and continue to engage with fans through social media and in the community. 

    This last stretch has provided the Toronto front office and the fans with the opportunity to see the depth of this roster. Players that would normally grab a couple minutes a game are getting the opportunity to play meaningful minutes or even crack the starting lineup. 

    Veterans like Kia Nurse and Isabelle Harrison are being asked to do more than just play their role and each have had their moments stepping up to the challenge. Tonight, Harrison captured her 17th game with double-digit scoring and continued to show her grit fighting for rebounds and making tough shots all night.

    Our 6th overall draft pick, Kiki Rice, is being asked to lead the team both as our floor general and as one of our top scoring threats. Newly signed players like Ornella Bankole, Zaay Green, and Kiana Williams are playing 15-20 minutes a game. And while it’s been a struggle to watch at times, it’s also been interesting to see who steps up on any given night and which rotations click. 

    The Tempo have had 22 different starting lineups this season. The team has had everything but stability yet the coaching staff and the available players on any given night keep showing up ready to fight. 

    Fun fact: The only player to appear in every game this season is Laura Juškaitė. As the Tempo broadcast put it, “the best ability is availability.” Props to Juškaitė for serving as Toronto’s ironwoman throughout the year.

    The Bad

    Toronto struggled to find a rhythm from the opening tip. Turnovers remained a central issue, with 5 in the first quarter and 16 total on the night. Credit the Mercury’s high-pressure defense, which generated 12 steals and 28 fast-break points. Lexi Held face-guarded Rice relentlessly, making it difficult for the rookie to initiate the offense. A compliment to Rice that teams are recognizing her game and targeting her as a key offensive player to contain. 

    Phoenix pulled away midway through the second quarter and never looked back. With limited backcourt scoring options, Toronto struggled from deep, shooting just 18% (4-for-22). Meanwhile, Phoenix caught fire, knocking down 44% (15-for-34) from beyond the arc.

    The Outlook

    The Tempo now get a much needed break as the league heads into the FIBA break from August 31-September 16. Toronto will be represented by 3 players and 2 coaches at the FIBA Women’s World Cup.

    • Nyara Sabally (Germany)
    • Maria Conde (Spain)
    • Julie Allemand (Belgium)
    • Sandy Brondello (Head Coach, Australia)
    • Olaf Lange (Associate Head Coach, Germany)

    Toronto has been on the road for a long time with their “home games” on this stretch taking place in Vancouver so the team will be excited to get back to Coca Cola Coliseum after the break where they’ll take on the Indiana Fever on September 18. Indiana has taken both previous matchups this season and will be eager to take another win with playoff seeding implications on the line but we’re sure that a well rested Toronto squad will be ready to try to even the score. 

    After that, only 3 games left before the curtain closes on the inaugural season. Get your tissues ready.

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  • Tempo vs Mercury Game Report – June 27, 2026

    Tempo vs Mercury Game Report – June 27, 2026

    In their first ever game at the Scotiabank Arena – which also coincided with the inaugural Pride game – an injury-riddled Toronto Tempo fell to the equally depleted Phoenix Mercury 89 – 80. 

    We break down the good, bad, and outlook.

    The Good

    Marina Mabrey, coming off a historic 53 point game, was ruled out right before the game after suffering neck spasms during warmups. Without Mabrey as the team’s offensive driver, the Tempo needed others to step up; for the most part, the team answered the call.

    Kudos to Julie Allemand. Once again, she served the role of the Tempo’s floor general brilliantly, contributing 10 assists (along with 11 points and 7 rebounds). Her ability to use screens to drive, change speeds, probe, and patiently find the right player to pass to for easy buckets was put on full display.   

    The Tempo also found success from the 3-point line. Overall, the team shot 40% from 3 (going 12 of 30), with Allemand, Kia Nurse, and Tima Pouye leading the charge.

    This may have been Pouye’s best game as a Tempo. While we saw glimmers from the last game, we felt that this was the most connected and integrated Pouye has been on the offensive end.  

    Our bigs also contributed. From Izzy’s mid-range pick-and-pops to Sabally going two for three from the 3-point line to Fagbenle’s hook shots, our three bigs chipped in 34 points collectively.  

    In the latter part of the final quarter, Mabrey’s absence was truly felt. After Sabally hit a 3 to shrink the Mercury’s lead to two points (78 – 76) with just over three and a half minutes to go, the Tempo ran out of steam. We only scored one field goal and two free throws in the final three minutes, while the Mercury pulled ahead to seal the win. 

    The Bad

    Simply put, the Tempo could not stop Kahleah Copper; her combination of speed, athleticism, and strength to get to the basket. No one could contain Copper and while doubling her led to some success, it didn’t work well enough. Copper ended the night with a game-high 27 points. 

    The Mercury also effectively used an inside-outside attack. Once players like Copper or Valeriane Ayayi drew a double team from the Tempo defenders, they would kick the ball out for open 3’s. We have to give a personal shout out to one of our favourites – former Tempo Lexi Held – who shot 3 of 5 from the 3-point line (we still aren’t sure why she didn’t get more of a chance in Toronto).

    This game also featured a glaring free throw disparity. The Mercury shot 29 free throws while the Tempo only shot 12. Some of the calls, especially against Nyara Sabally, were eyebrow raising. However, the Tempo also did not do themselves any favours by missing six of their twelve free throws. In a tight game, those missed free throws became more glaring.

    We have to give the Mercury credit. This team was also missing numerous key players, including their MVP Alyssa Thomas, Monique Akoa Makani (who would have given the Tempo lots of trouble with her stellar point-of-attack defense), and key role players like Natasha Mack and Sami Whitcomb. Even without those players, the Mercury played more physical and consistent defense throughout the game, and hit more key shots down the stretch.

    The Outlook

    July is going to be absolutely brutal for the Tempo. Eight of the nine games in July will be against teams in the upper echelon of the WNBA. This will be a serious test for the Tempo. They are going to have to play their absolute best to stay in playoff contention. 

    This test begins on July 5 when the Dallas Wings will visit Coca Cola Coliseum. Led by Paige Bueckers, the offensive powerhouse Dallas Wings have vastly improved since last season. They drafted Azzi Fudd (the 2026 first overall pick), added Jessica Sheppard (who is the frontrunner to win most improved player this season), and Alanna Smith (co-defensive player of the year award winner in 2025).

    The good news is that the Tempo will have a week to rest and prepare for the challenge ahead.  

  • Tempo vs Mercury Game Report – May 19, 2026

    Tempo vs Mercury Game Report – May 19, 2026

    No bigs? No problem for the Toronto Tempo! On Tuesday night, the Toronto Tempo won their second game in a row on their west coast roadtrip against the Phoenix Mercury. Admittedly, we were nervous about the Tempo’s chances against the size and ferocity of Phoenix’s frontcourt, but the Tempo once again proved that they play with heart, fight, and absolutely no fear. 

    Here are the the good, bad, and outlook from the game. 

    The Good

    The stars for the Tempo shone brightly. As Chelsea Leite reported, “Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes become the first WNBA duo this season to each score 30+ points in a game.”

    Both Slim and Mabrey were simply unstoppable. 

    Mabrey’s patented stepback 3’s were on full display this game. 

    She further thrilled with turnaround jumpers, drives to the basket, and some spiciness that led to her first tech. In classic Mabrey fashion, after the tech, she made a deliberate effort to go at Jovana Nogic which was very entertaining to watch.  

    Meanwhile, Slim continues to have the eye of the tiger and showing why she was worth the $1 million investment by the Tempo. Tonight, Slim scored at all three levels, hitting midrange jumpers, attacking the paint, and getting to the line. Furthermore, even though Slim has, on average, shot 30% from 3 over her career, she hit 50% of her 3’s in this game. 

    Combined, Mabrey and Slim scored 61 of the 98 points. Phenomenal stuff. 

    Not far behind the two stars was the impact made by the play from Kiki Rice. Rice contributed 15 points on an efficient 5 of 7 shooting. With only five games in, Rice has shown that she can be trusted to hit a corner 3 and operate beautifully in the transition game by causing turnovers and getting transition buckets. At this rate, Rice could soon make a case for staying in the starting lineup for good. 

    The Bad

    On a night where the Tempo – down four key contributors – defeated a team that went to the WNBA championship last season, it is hard for us to find too many negatives about this game. 

    We’ll just point out two areas. 

    1. To be fair to Phoenix, the Mercury came into this game as a top team in 3-point percentage, but they only shot 18% from 3 in this game. Meanwhile, Toronto shot 42% from 3, which is well above what they had been averaging in their first four games. We acknowledge that we did catch the Mercury on a poor 3 point shooting night, but we will take it! 
    1. In the 4th Quarter, Alyssa Thomas proceeded to literally flex her muscles to take over by barreling her way into the paint to score at will or find a cutter to pass to for an easy layup. To be honest, we wondered why she didn’t do that all game long. However, the Tempo responded with more amazing 3-point shooting, proving again that 3’s are worth more than 2’s, and the Mercury did not come close to making up the score. 

    The Outlook

    The Tempo close out their road trip against the Minnesota Lynx. Like the Tempo, the Lynx have started the season with an injury-riddled front court that includes injuries to Napheesa Collier, Dorka Juhasz, and Emma Chechova (if this name sounds familiar, it’s because she torched us during our pre-season game against the Lynx). On the Tempo side, Isabelle Harrison, Temi Fagbenle, Nyara Sabally, and Julie Allemand remain out with injuries.

    While the Lynx have one of the best shooters in the game in Kayla McBride and the midrange assassin, Courtney Williams,  defending guards has been a consistent strength of the Tempo. This game will also feature rookie sensations, Olivia Miles, and the Tempo’s own Kiki Rice going head-to-head for the first time this season. 

    If our star duo of Mabrey and Sykes (thoughts on Fast & Furious as a nickname?) continue their stellar play, this is absolutely a getable game for the Tempo.