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  • Tempo vs Liberty Game Report – June 3, 2026

    Tempo vs Liberty Game Report – June 3, 2026

    The Toronto Tempo unfortunately ran up against an offensive juggernaut in the New York Liberty on June 3, 2026 and lost 97-82 in their first Commissioner’s Cup match (click here  if you need a quick orientation to the Commission’s Cup).  

    We break down the Good, Bad, and Outlook.

    The Good

    Despite the final score and the Liberty’s hot shooting night from 3, the Tempo showed flashes of competitiveness and flirted with the notion that they could keep up with New York at multiple points in the game.

    In the first half, this was a competitive game. New York’s shots weren’t falling at the same rate. The Tempo once again showed their grittiness and fight to make some difficult shots (shout out to Milic’s shot over 6’11” Han Xu).

    And, how about that comeback with only a few minutes left in the second quarter? Just when we thought the Liberty were starting to run away with it, the Tempo responded and clawed their way back into the game. Moreover, before the half, Juškaitė hit a corner 3 buzzer beater that would have had the Tempo going into the half with a lead, but it turned out it had not quite beat the buzzer.

    When the Liberty took control in the third quarter, Slim rightfully figured out that the Tempo’s offensive strategy needed to change and she started driving to the basket at Mach speed, which resulted in some success. She also clocked that rookie Paulie Astier, while an offensive wizard, is not the strongest on defense. Slim proceeded to attack Astier on multiple possessions, leading to points and free throws.

    In that same quarter, Mabrey also had a few minutes where she went supernova and went bucket-for-bucket against the entire Liberty offense. During that run, Mabrey used the pick-and-roll to perfection, either driving for a pull up midrange jumper as soon as she found a bit of space or pulling back for her patented stepback 3. At her absolute peak, Mabrey shows again that she can go toe-to-toe with the best and able to take (and make) the Tempo’s hardest shots.

    The Bad

    Unfortunately for the Tempo, the Liberty showed why they are an offensive superpower in the WNBA. While the Liberty have actually played below expectations this season (partly due to injuries, partly due to adjustments to a new coach, partly due to simple underperformance), the Tempo caught them on a night where they looked like championship contenders.

    In the first half, Jonquel Jones (who has been underwhelming to start the season) showed her entire offensive repertoire, driving to the basket and splitting defenses for layups, splashing 3’s, grabbing offensive rebounds, and protecting the rim. Jones easily had her best game this season (and best game in a while), which unfortunately comes at the Tempo’s expense.

    New York also showed that how impressive their 3-point shooting can be. Throughout the game, the Liberty showcased an entire roster capable of hitting 3’s with ease, whether it’s Satou Sabally, Pauline Astier, Leonie Fiebich, Marine Johannes, or Jonquel Jones. This is not to mention Rebekah Gardner, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, and Breanna Stewart who all had off nights (yes, Stewie had 19 points but I would consider this an off-night for her).

    In the second half, the Liberty’s top talent and offensive firepower was simply too much for the Tempo to handle and ran away with this game handily. As an example: when the Tempo were down by 11 and still trying to climb back into the game, Stewie was guarded by Teonni Key on a key possession. Stewie easily backed Key down, pivoted and faked to bait Key before Key committed a foul to send Stewie to the line to make two free throws, which increased the Liberty’s lead back to 13.

    Coming into the game, the Tempo led the league in free throw attempts with 26 a game. This game, they only got to the line ten times. There were also moments when the Tempo were able to drive past the Liberty’s perimeter defense and the New York’s bigs stayed near the basket, which opened up opportunities for the midrange shot around the free throw area. But the Tempo didn’t make enough of those jumpers to make New York pay for giving them that look and alter the defense. This was another missed opportunity.

    Finally, while we are still very early into the season, it should be noted that all of the Tempo’s wins have come from playing teams under 0.500 (or have won fewer games than they have lost). Against the upper tier of the league, the Tempo have yet to demonstrate success. This trend also plagued the Toronto Raptors this past season, but we are hopeful that the Tempo will overcome this early trend.

    The Outlook

    The loss to New York is probably the last thing on both the team’s and fans’ minds, as star rookie, Kiki Rice, suffered a grade 2 ankle sprain late in the game and had to be helped off the court. Recent reports are saying that she will be re-evaluated in the coming days and there is currently no timetable for her return. Some fans have feared that her timeline to return may be a few weeks to over a month. This is a humongous loss to an already injury-ridden team. We – along with all Tempo fans – hope that Rice is able to heal and come back sooner rather than later.

    The Tempo have also waived Nikolina Milić from her hardship contract, which feels especially rude after she hit that near-impossible jumper over Han Xu. Nevertheless, we wish Milić all the best.

    Up next, the Tempo face the Chicago Sky at Coca Cola Coliseum. You may recall that, during their last matchup, Nyara Sabally hit a career high in points and the Tempo won their first matchup in decisive fashion. We later learned that there was an illness that plagued numerous Sky players that resulted in a rotating cast of players needing to be out of the lineup.

    In that first matchup, the Sky’s rookie, Gabriela Jaquez, was injured while her former UCLA teammate, Kiki Rice, shone. This time around, Jaquez might be ready to play on Sunday while the Tempo will be adjusting to the loss of Rice.

    The Sky also just snapped their five straight game losing streak by beating the league’s worst team, the Connecticut Sun, on Friday night. Meanwhile, the Tempo will have had a few days’ rest coming into this game.

    While the Tempo will have rest, home court, and the first victory as advantages, they will have to ensure that they do not rest on their laurels and assume that this will be an easy win. As this is a Commissioner Cup game, every point and win makes a difference in determining the Tempo’s chances of making it to the cup final.

    Written by

    Stan Yu

    on

  • What is the Commissioner’s Cup?

    What is the Commissioner’s Cup?

    The Commissioner’s Cup is back for its 6th year. Let’s unpack what it is and how it works!

    The cup is an annual in-season competition with a $500,000 prize pool. Each team in the Eastern Conference will play 6 games, while the Western Conference will play 7 games (due to expansion teams). The Toronto Tempo are in the Eastern Conference, so we will play 6 games. The top team from each conference will play in the final.

    The cup also serves as a fundraiser for local community organizations. Each team selects an organization and donations are made to that organization for each win/loss. $3,000 for a win, $1,000 for a loss, $10,000 for the championship, and $5,000 for the runner-up.

    This year the Toronto Tempo have selected Lay-Up Basketball as their organization.

    Previous Winners:

    • 2021 – Seattle Storm beat Connecticut Sun
    • 2022 – Las Vegas Aces beat Chicago Sky
    • 2023 – New York Liberty beat Las Vegas Aces
    • 2024 – Minnesota Lynx beat New York Liberty
    • 2025 – Indiana Fever beat Minnesota Lynx

    Making it to the Commissioner’s Cup Final indicates some future success, but that is not guaranteed. In the past 5 years every team that has made it to the Commissioner’s Cup Final has made it to the WNBA Playoffs. In 2023 and 2024 the Commissioner’s Cup Final had the same teams as the WNBA Final. In 2022 the Las Vegas Aces won both the Commissioner’s Cup and the WNBA Championship.

    Tempo Commissioner’s Cup Schedule:

    • June 3 vs New York Liberty (5-4)
    • June 7 vs Chicago Sky (3-5)
    • June 10 vs Connecticut Sun (2-8)
    • June 12 @ Washington Mystics (3-4)
    • June 14 vs Atlanta Dream (5-2)
    • June 16 @ Indiana Fever (4-4)
    • *June 30 – Commissioner’s Cup Final

    Does Toronto have a shot at winning the Commissioner’s Cup? Maybe. We are in the middle of the pack at 5-4 coming in, so it will be a bit of an uphill battle. But even if the Tempo aren’t in the final, hopefully we can raise some money for Lay-Up basketball!

    Related Links

    Written by

    Arlin Schaffel

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  • Tempo vs Storm Game Report – May 30, 2026

    Tempo vs Storm Game Report – May 30, 2026

    On a sunny Saturday afternoon in Toronto, the Tempo captured their second-ever home win 93-72 with a dominant performance over the Seattle Storm. Tempo nation was electric as the team stacked back-to-back wins to move their record to 5-4 on the season.

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

    The Good

    Fueled by pre-game matchas and coffees, the Tempo were firing on all cylinders. It was a total team effort right from the opening tip, with all five starters scoring in double digits led by Marina “Money” Mabrey’s 18 points. 

    However, it wasn’t just the starters that came to play. After 4 games out with a groin strain, Julie Allemand returned to the lineup and fans were eager to see how Head Coach Sandy Brondello would handle the starting point guard decision with Kiki Rice outperforming her rookie expectations so far this season. Coach Brondello showed her faith once again in the number 6 draft pick, giving Rice the nod and as expected she delivered to the tune of 17 points for her 8th consecutive game in double digits.

    “She’s even better than I thought she would be.” – Sandy’s post-game praise on Rice’s maturity and winning mindset

    Beyond the box score, Rice has become the heartbeat of the Tempo’s transition game. Look no further than the third quarter, when she broke up an easy Storm layup on defense and hustled end-to-end for a huge transition and-1.

    Despite coming off the bench, Allemand handled her 6th woman role in stride bringing a confident, veteran presence to the court and finishing the game with 6 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. An exciting dynamic was seeing Rice and Allemand on the floor at the same time at multiple points this game. With the Tempo really leaning into small ball, it’s looking like there will be room for both guards to share the floor. 

    Our final shoutout goes to rookie Laura Juškaitė, who caught fire from beyond the arc in the second half. She knocked down a career-high four 3-pointers en route to a 14-point performance. Adding an additional threat from deep is huge for a Tempo team that is looking to spread the floor. Even more fun than Juškaitė on the court is watching her build chemistry with her new teammates, laughing and joking with Mabrey in the post-presser.

    Another historic game for the Tempo, this time setting a WNBA record when they hit their first 31 free throws and finishing the game shooting 94% from the charity stripe. We love our consistent free throw queens.

    The Bad

    Even on a night when the offense was humming, the offense sputtered early due to stagnant first-half ball movement. For the Tempo to continue to find success with a smaller lineup, they’ll need to spread the floor and swing the ball. A drive and kick offense fits their strengths with many scoring options comfortable from deep.

    On the flip side, defensive rotations remain a massive pain point. Our help side has been an abomination at times and something the team needs to figure out if they want to keep solidifying their position as contenders in this inaugural season.

    Recently signed French guard Tima Pouye suited up for her first game with the Tempo. Fans hoping to dissect the decision to release Lexie Held for the international talents of Pouye weren’t provided much evidence with Pouye playing only 4 minutes on the day.

    Finding any significant flaws in the Tempo’s performance would be tough. This felt like a team shifting into its next gear, delivering their most well-rounded performance of the season. 

    That said, roster concerns on paper are real, and the thought of facing a dominant center like A’ja Wilson is still terrifying. The Tempo certainly benefited from a key injury on the other side. Seattle was without Dominique Malonga, missing her sixth consecutive game for Seattle as she goes through concussion protocol.   

    The Outlook  

    With every passing game, it becomes clearer that the single greatest gift Tempo fans received last year was the signing of Head Coach Sandy Brondello. On top of serving the best sideline looks in the league, Brondello provides the perfect calming presence for a young, fiery locker room. She is pulling the absolute best out of her players, helping them grow individually and as a group.

    Grabbing the dub against the Storm moves the Tempo move to 5-4, now sitting tied for 3rd in the Eastern Conference. It’s early but the ceiling for this team feels like it keeps moving upward. Even more exciting for fans has been the evolving personality of this team as Brondello moves through different rotations and dynamics on the court. An unexpected five that looked sharp together were Allemand, Rice, Sabally, Juškaitė and Conde. This type of depth will make it hard for teams to scout and hone in on just one star player like Mabrey or Sykes.  

    Next up, the Tempo head to the Big Apple for a clash with the New York Liberty on Wednesday, June 3rd. This will be the first time these two teams meet this season. Looking at season averages, the Liberty have the edge in most categories except for points scored and steals. Expect the Tempo to push the ball and force the Liberty into a scrappier transition game. Oh and remember when we mentioned our fear of an elite forward, well this will be another test for Toronto in trying to shut down WNBA all-star Breanna Stewart who is averaging over 18 points per game. 

    June also marks the start of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup, the annual in-season tournament where teams collect points on games where they face off against their conference opponents and compete for the chance to sit atop their conference to play in the Cup Championship on Tuesday, June 30th. As if Tempo fans needed any more motivation to get loud for their home squad!

    Written by

    Amy Prokop

    on

  • Tempo vs Sky Game Report – May 27, 2026

    Tempo vs Sky Game Report – May 27, 2026

    Thanks to sensational performances from Nyara Sabally and Marina Mabrey, the Toronto Tempo snapped their two-game losing streak by winning an entertaining uptempo game against the Chicago Sky. 

    We break down the Good, Bad, and Outlook! 

    The Good

    In this win, no player shone brighter than Nyara Sabally who set a new career high of 29 points. While Nyara has previously shown her prowess in the pick and roll, she showed us the entire package tonight. She went at Kamilla Cardoso with speed and intention and, on multiple occasions, made Cardoso seem slow with her blowbys to the basket for layups. Sabally also contributed three 3-pointers and she shot them with confidence. 

    On the defensive end, Sabally continued to showcase her role as a disruptive presence, both at and away from the rim, capping the night off with two steals and two blocks.

    Her impact cannot be understated. Chicago only got on a run and closed the gap in the third quarter after Nyara sat on the bench. That was certainly no coincidence.

    In the fourth quarter, this became a close and tense game. On multiple occasions, the Sky threatened to erase the Tempo’s lead. This was when Marina Mabrey turned supernova and hit every big shot down the stretch to secure the win. Regardless of what the Sky did to her defensively, she would find space and hit another stepback or pullup jumper for 11 of her 24 points. Simply put, Mabrey put the team on her back and closed the game for the Tempo. 

    We also have to give a shout out to the return to form for sharpshooter Maria Conde. Conde had been struggling with her 3’s in past games, but she hit three of her 3’s tonight and her shot was looking a lot better. 

    Another shout out goes to Lexi Held (who unfortunately got waived by the Tempo on Tuesday) who played well in limited minutes. On one fast break play, Slim held the ball for too long and passed it to Milic for a poor baseline jumper that only hit rim. Held sprinted from the corner to get the offensive rebound and quickly dished it to Sabally who laid it up for two points. We were excited to see this Lexi Held for the Tempo, but it was sadly not meant to be. 

    Finally, we can’t forget the impact that Kiki Rice continues to have for this Tempo team. While she is only in her rookie season, she continues to be arguably the most reliable contributor whenever she is on the floor. In addition to scoring in double digits for seven straight games, we once again saw her instinct to never give up on plays and find ways to rectify mistakes by somehow getting the ball back with hustle and anticipation. 

    Overall, we saw the Tempo play like the Tempo again with much better 3-point shooting, crisper passing, and playing with more energy on both sides of the floor. 

    The Bad

    We also have to give the Sky credit. In this game, they also played very well. On multiple occasions, they got the Tempo on their heels using quick outlet passes from their veteran star backcourt, Skyler Diggins and Natasha Cloud, leading to quick transition buckets. When the Sky were at their best, Diggins and Cloud dictated the pace and this game could have been an even bigger nail biter had it not been for the heroics of Mabrey. 

    Furthermore, we want to give credit to Sydney Taylor. The undrafted rookie dropped 27 points on the Tempo and displayed a dizzying array of making difficult 3’s and driving the ball with athleticism and force. At certain points in the game, we thought we were watching Jackie Young out there in a Sky jersey. 

    Taylor and Aicha Coulibaly’s speed, quickness, and strength on drives and cuts really gave the Tempo’s defense issues. 

    The Outlook

    It’s hard not to be on a high after watching this entertaining game where the Tempo were challenged yet persevered.

    The Tempo host the Seattle Storm next. In their last matchup, the Storm bigs were able to get whatever look they wanted which led to big nights from Dom Malonga and Stef Dolson. The Tempo, however, successfully contained the offensive production of their guards and won their first matchup.

    This game, the Storm will be without Dom Malonga, but will have Awa Fam available. While we anticipate Fam and Dolson will be a handful, we like the Tempo’s chances in repeating the success they had before in limiting the damage from Seattle’s guards again. Slim and Rice will be key defensively to containing the cast of Natisha Hiedeman, Jade Melbourne, Flau’Jae Johnson, and Zia Cooke – any of whom can catch fire on offense in any given game. 

    Written by

    Stan Yu

    on

  • Tempo vs Fire Game Report – May 23, 2026

    Tempo vs Fire Game Report – May 23, 2026

    The Toronto Tempo’s game against the Portland Fire on Saturday wasn’t quite the bounce back they’d imagined. The Tempo dropped their second game in a row, losing to the Fire 99 – 80. 

    While the result is disappointing for us Tempo fans, this game did more to shed light on the fact that Portland might really have a better team than we gave them credit for going into the season. 

    We break down the Good, the Bad, and the Outlook.

    The Good

    Admittedly, this game did not feature many things on the “good” side for the Tempo. The one bright spot was rookie Kiki Rice who contributed 19 points on very efficient 8 – 11 shooting. Kiki confirmed what she’s already shown us – that she’s lethal in transition. Whether on her own steals or a Tempo stop, Kiki’s fastbreaks showed off her strength and angles on the layup, or the right read to a teammate.

    In this game, we also saw her knack to never give up on plays, finding the ball on two separate broken plays, including one where she missed a jumper, got the offensive rebound, then gets fouled for two free throws.

    In the first half, Marina Mabrey looked like she was going to be another bright spot in the game. Mabrey scored 15 of her 19 points and dished out 7 of her 8 assists in the first half. With a 44 – 44 half time score it was looking like it was going to be an exciting game – until the Tempo’s wheels fell.

    The Bad

    Unfortunately, the Tempo were not particularly impressive on either side of the court. On offense, the Tempo relied too much on the 3-ball, which they made only six in twenty-five attempts and shot 24%. Meanwhile, Portland hit eleven of their twenty-three 3’s, shooting 48% from 3. 

    On defense, the Tempo’s lackadaisical defensive intensity and energy was evident. Portland created consistent advantage running their pick-and-roll resulting in easy layups or kickouts to one of their wing players if help defense came in from the Tempo. They ran it so many times that it felt like groundhog day – it worked every single time.

    Portland’s bigs also bullied us this game. Whether it was Emily Engstler, Nyadiew Puoch, Luisa Geiselsoder, Serah Williams, or Megan Gustafson, they simply outmuscle us in the low post or going to the basket and it put the Tempo on their heels all game long.

    Lastly, our transition defense was also notably poor. In total, the Tempo had 17 turnovers and Portland scored 28 points from those turnovers. To compare, the Tempo caused 14 turnovers and only got 13 points off those turnovers. 

    And this is where we have to tip our hat off to Portland. While this team does not feature a lot of household names, they have carved out an identity in a short amount of time. This team is already known for their athleticism, rabid defense, and constant ball pressure. They have already beaten the New York Liberty twice and are quickly changing perceptions of what they can accomplish this season. Simply put, the Fire are not going to be pushovers this season and the Tempo saw that firsthand. 

    The Outlook

    Perhaps it was the fact that the Tempo played 6 games in 11 days. Or, as Coach Sandy Brondello said after the game, “We’re facing some adversity, and sometimes you need to get slapped in the face to make some change and be better.” Either way, the Tempo have to play better and they have had a few days rest to regroup.

    Up next for Toronto is the Chicago Sky. Currently, Chicago ranks second in lowest opponent field goal percentage, which means the Tempo are up against another strong defensive squad.

    Since their disastrous 2025 season, the Sky have dramatically changed their roster this offseason with both brilliant and headscratching moves. One thing is for certain. By getting players such as Skyler Diggins, Azura Stevens, and Natasha Cloud, the Sky clearly want to win now. Unfortunately, during their strong start to the season, their young and upcoming star, Rickea Jackson, went down with a torn ACL and is now out for the season. Since that injury, the Sky have also endured back-to-back losses. 

    Both teams will be looking to take advantage of the other and get a win Wednesday night. Fortunately for the Tempo, the Sky’s offense ranks near the bottom of the league. If the Tempo can ratchet up their defensive intensity and execution, they might be able to frustrate the Sky like the Fire frustrated us on Saturday. More importantly, the Tempo will need their “million-dollar backcourt” of Slim and Mabrey (again, thoughts on Fast & Furious as a nickname?) to perform at a higher level to overcome the Sky. 

    Written by

    Stan Yu

    on