The Toronto Tempo kept pace with the Golden State Valkyries for much of their second matchup in three days, but turnovers, poor rebounding, and another fourth-quarter fade resulted in a tough 92-81 loss.
Toronto led by as many as 13 points in the second quarter, but Golden State closed the first half on a 16–4 run before pulling away late. The loss extends the Tempo’s losing streak to seven games.
We break down the Good, Bad, and Outlook from the game.
The Good
Aneesah Morrow saw her first minutes in a Tempo jersey, and it was exciting to see her make an immediate impact. Her first basket came less than a minute after checking in, when she confidently knocked down a 3-pointer.
Morrow finished with 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block in just over 16 minutes. She brought exactly the type of energy and aggression the Tempo had hoped to add when they acquired her, particularly on the glass. With Toronto struggling badly with rebounding this season, Morrow should have plenty of opportunities to make her mark.
The Tempo also showed more hustle than we have seen in some recent games (even during the final minutes). Several loose-ball scrambles ended with players on the floor, and Kiki Rice reminded us that she refuses to give up on a play.
Julie Allemand quietly put together another excellent all-around performance. She finished with seven points, eight assists, four steals, and zero turnovers. Maria Conde also continued her strong play, scoring 17 points and hitting five three-pointers.
The Bad
This game gave me a bit of deja-vu.
The Tempo came out strong, the Valkyries increased their physicality, Toronto became flustered, and the offence fizzled out in the fourth quarter. Even the post-game presser sounded like it could have come from any of the previous six losses, with Sandy Brondello repeating the familiar message: “We’ve got to be a little bit tougher.”
Toronto led by 13 mid-way through the second quarter, but that lead disappeared quickly mid-way through the second quarter. During one 23–4 Golden State run, the Tempo shot just 1-for-8 and committed six turnovers. By the fourth quarter, they managed only 13 points.
Once again, the Tempo got beat up physically. Marina Mabrey took a shoulder to the face early in the first quarter, while Nyara Sabally could still be seen holding her ribs following contact. The continuing injuries are worrying, and several players clearly are not operating at full strength.
Toronto was also dominated on the glass. Golden State outrebounded the Tempo 44–31 and collected 15 offensive rebounds. It is difficult enough to beat a team as good as the Valkyries without repeatedly giving them additional possessions.
Mabrey finished with 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting and missed all four of her three-point attempts despite playing 35 minutes. The Tempo need to find more effective ways to get Marina open and shooting in rhythm. Being tightly guarded and repeatedly double-teamed is clearly getting frustrating. But, this is what good teams do and it is on the Tempo to adjust and come out with a better game plan.
The Outlook
Tonight, the Tempo face the Portland Fire, who sit at 11–19 and are attempting to end a five-game losing streak of their own. Toronto has now lost seven straight, so something has to give.
Portland won the first meeting between the expansion teams 99–80, although Mabrey and Rice each scored an impressive 19 points for Toronto.
This is one of the more winnable games remaining on the Tempo’s schedule, but they cannot afford another collapse after halftime. Toronto needs to protect the ball, compete on the glass, and maintain its physicality for all four quarters, not just the first two.
