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  • Tempo vs Sun Game Report – June 19, 2026

    Tempo vs Sun Game Report – June 19, 2026

    Under the most unlikely of scenarios, the Toronto Tempo came back from a sixteen point deficit to beat the Connecticut Sun 101 – 97 on the road in the teams’ second matchup in a week. 

    We break down the good, bad, and outlook

    The Good

    We have seen her do this before, but still have to pick our jaws up from the floor. Marina Mabrey did it again, scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter, and establishing a new career high 37 points. She was simply sublime in the 4th, hitting five 3-pointers and attacking the closeout and splitting defenses for layups. It seemed like the Sun may have thought that this game was over before then. Their defense was shell-shocked and defended like they were in quicksand while Mabrey simply could not miss. 

    If you haven’t caught this game yet, do it. Mabrey’s performance will dazzle you and make you a believer.

    Beyond Mabrey’s sensational game, we also want to give a shout out to Tèmí Fágbénlé, who also scored a career high this game with 19 points. She also nearly attained a double-double with nine rebounds. This was the most confident we have seen Fágbénlé since returning from injury. She played with less hesitancy and far more fluidity, taking shots and being part of good ball movement. Defensively, our team still has a long way to go to protect the paint, but this game was largely positive for Fágbénlé. 

    We also want to give a big shout out to María Conde who contributed 19 points off the bench, hitting five 3’s with swagger. It feels like you can really tell when Conde is feeling her shot (her legs mid-air have a tell) and she was on fire tonight.

    Finally, we note the improvement in ball movement. There were more moments in this game where we saw an extra cut or an extra pass and it led to good results. More of that, please!

    The Bad

    Like the previous game against the Connecticut Sun, the weaknesses amongst the Tempo team are glaring. The Sun outscored the Tempo in the paint, 54 – 32. The combination of Brittney Griner, Aneesa Morrow, and Olivia Nelson-Ododa further got their hands on too many offensive rebounds or tip out for second and third chances on defense. They put on a clinic in the third quarter and it looked like the Sun were going to run away with this game, thanks to those clear advantages.

    In addition, the Tempo once again struggled with their transition defense. We have noticed that while the Tempo are excellent when they turn their opponents over and attack in transition, we are not very strong in defending this same situation. The speed of the Sun’s attack in transition led to automatic points. This is reminiscent of the Tempo’s struggle against players like Allisha Gray. 

    The Outlook

    As with the last time the Tempo faced the Sun, they played the Dream next in their house. 

    This rematch comes on the heels of an event-filled first matchup. You can read about why in that game’s report, but we anticipate the Atlanta fans will not be kind to Izzy and the Tempo will have to weather that storm.

    More importantly, in that first game against the Dream, the Tempo really struggled to contain Atlanta’s star-studded combo of Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard who scored 26 and 24 respectively.

    The Tempo need a better defensive game plan to prevent them from going off again. And, we will have to do so without our best two defensive guards available. 

  • Tempo vs Fever Game Report – June 16, 2026

    Tempo vs Fever Game Report – June 16, 2026

    A tough night all around for the Toronto Tempo. Kelsey Mitchell and the Indiana Fever dismantled the Tempo 113-91, handing them their 3rd straight loss. To make matters worse, star guard Brittney Sykes left the game with a non-contact injury that left fans fearing the worst. 

    Let’s discuss the good, the bad and the outlook. 

    The Good

    Hopes were high in the first half as the Tempo looked up to the task early on, going basket-for-basket with the Fever. This was largely due to Laura Juškaitė, who matched her career-high with 19 points, including scoring 10 points in two minutes during the second quarter alone. It was a well-rounded performance from the Lithuanian rookie, who also chipped in four assists, two rebounds and three steals on the night. 

    But Juškaitė wasn’t alone in her efforts. Marina Mabrey recorded 11 points and five assists in the first half – a performance that reminded us that she’s more than just a deep threat. Mabrey found ways to create for herself but also others, finishing with 18 points and 7 assists. This was a strong outing and something we hope Mabrey can continue moving forward with an injury-ridden backcourt. 

    Entering halftime with only a 3-point deficit felt like a great spot to be for the Tempo. Sykes, Harrison and Condé were all contributing and it seemed we were headed towards a signature Tempo dogfight. This is when we unfortunately moved to the bad. 

    The Bad

    The wheels fell off quickly in the third quarter as Indiana outscored Toronto 32-23. The Tempo struggled to contain the Fever backcourt with Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham who both caught fire to combine for 21 of Indiana’s 32 points in the frame.

    But the real dagger came at the 6:46 mark. While driving to the basket, Brittney Sykes dropped to the floor in sudden, visible pain. A collective breath was held across Tempo Nation as “Slim” exited the game with what was immediately deemed a non-contact foot injury. 

    Sandy Brondello’s face said it all when the camera panned to the Tempo’s head coach with her head in her hands and a worrisome look spread across her face. Thankfully, the post-game diagnosis offered a massive sigh of relief. The latest updates indicate that Sykes has suffered a plantar fascia injury, a relief compared to the devastating Achilles tear that fans initially feared. Toronto expects Sykes back on the hardwood at some point this season but an exact timeline remains up in the air.

    While the second half is best left forgotten for Toronto, the final box score highlights glaring issues the Tempo must address. Rebounding remains a massive vulnerability, especially with Nyara Sabally and Kiki Rice out of the lineup. The Fever dominated the glass 47–22.

    Furthermore, Toronto continues to struggle against elite playmakers. Much like previous outings against Olivia Miles and Georgia Amoore, the Tempo defense was easily deconstructed by Caitlin Clark, who dished out 14 assists. When the Tempo weren’t letting Clark dictate the floor, they were putting her on the line. Helped by a whistle-happy referee crew, Clark attempted 14 free throws which nearly matched the total amount of free throws awarded to the Tempo on the night. 

    The Outlook

    With a roster that was already facing adversity from a number of injuries this season, the loss of Sykes feels almost insurmountable. For Tempo fans the concern has gone from yellow to red but the show must go on. 

    Tonight feels like a must win situation for the Toronto Tempo (7-8) as their roadtrip offers them a chance to snap their losing streak against the league-worst Connecticut Sun (2-14). This is their second clash with Connecticut this month, with Toronto stealing an OT win in their last matchup just 9 days ago. However, things change fast in this league and the Tempo will be without their top scorer with Sykes out. 

    Kiki Rice remains out as she recovers from her ankle injury and Nyara Sabally is listed as questionable for tonight’s game. While Julie Allemand did exit the Fever game with a headache, we expect she’ll be back in tonight’s lineup. 

    The question on everyone’s mind – can this team continue to compete with only 9-10 players available on any given night? Stay tuned for some thoughts from your Tempo.basketball crew on who front office management might target if a hardship contract is in the works.

  • Tempo vs Dream Game Report – June 14, 2026

    Tempo vs Dream Game Report – June 14, 2026

    Despite a strong start, the Toronto Tempo were not able to keep up with the Atlanta Dream and fell 102 – 77.

    We break down the good, bad, and outlook.

    The Good

    The Tempo started this game like they were shot out of a cannon, displaying great energy on defense and ball movement on offense, and going on an early run. Isabelle Harrison, in particular, had the quarter of her life, and scored 9 points while limiting Angel Reese’s production to going 1 for 6 from the field. Allisha Gray also went 0-2 and Rhyne Howard was the only Dream player who had her shot going. For a hot minute, we thought that we may have caught Atlanta ‘dreaming’ and could run away with this one.

    Predictably, the Dream came back in the second. Gray scored 11 points and the Dream flipped an 8 point deficit into an 8 point lead going into the second half.

    The Dream did not let up their offensive production in the third quarter. The Tempo tried their best to keep this game within striking distance. However this quarter also saw the turning point of the game.

    The Bad

    To address it immediately: since minute one of this game, Izzy Harrison and Angel Reese went at each other physically and verbally. In the third quarter, Reese followed by Izzy were assessed delays of game for trying to pry/slap the ball from one another’s hands after plays ended. Had these been called as technicals, we suspect escalation in physicality could have been prevented. Angel also did not get a call when she grabbed a rebound when she was – upon instant replay – clearly well out of bounds, which riled up the crowd and bench at Coca Cola Coliseum.

    With 6:05 left and Reese posting Izzy up, Harrison pulled Reese down from behind with both hands and above Reese’s shoulders. Whether or not it was intentional, it was a dangerous play and a flagrant 2 was correctly called.

    After Harrison’s ejection, the Tempo tried to keep the score within striking distance after 3 quarters. In the fourth, however, the Dream sealed the victory with the combination of their size advantage, Allisha Gray’s unstoppable shotmaking, and their impeccable ball movement to always find the best shot. Temi Fagbenle, still getting back into game shape from a right shoulder injury, tried her best but Reese was able to get 8 points in the first two minutes in the 4th.

    On the defensive side, we have to tip our hats to Atlanta’s defense. We saw Gray give Mabrey very little space to operate during the entire game (going 2 for 11 from the field). Sykes didn’t fare much better going 5 for 12.

    We also have to give credit to Atlanta’s role players. Isobel Borlase set a new career high, scoring 17 off the bench, with Te’hina Pao Pao and Jordin Canada also scoring key 3’s in the second half.

    And, we have to be realistic. Atlanta has been building a contender team for years. With this calibre of competition, we knew that the Tempo were coming in as underdogs and needed to play a stellar game to win. There were glimpses of that in the early parts of the game, but ultimately the more talented team won.

    The Outlook

    On Tuesday, the Tempo face the Indiana Fever for the first time. Similar to the Atlanta Dream, the Fever feature a top-calibre center in Aliyah Boston, paired with 2025 all-WNBA first team player, Kelsey Mitchell, and WNBA Eastern Conference player of the week, Caitlin Clark.

    The Dream once again exposed how thin the Tempo’s rim protection can be. Aliyah Boston loves to play physical in the low post and will look to expose that again. The Tempo will also have to find a way to slow down Mitchell, one of the fastest players in the W. If the Tempo don’t keep up, Mitchell will run circles around you and dazzle you with sensational drives. Finally, the Tempo can’t let Clark go off from the 3, but even if they take away the 3, her vision and passing will be a handful.

    The Tempo will need to take the lessons learned from this game and play a higher level game from start to finish to be able to have a chance to upset the Fever.

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  • Tempo vs Mystics Game Report – June 12, 2026

    Tempo vs Mystics Game Report – June 12, 2026

    Thanks to an amazing buzzer beater by Sonia Citron, the Toronto Tempo fell 86-85 to the Washington Mystics despite a heroic second half performance by Marina Mabrey.

    We break down the good, bad, and outlook from this game.

    The Good

    The story of this game really began in the third quarter. The Tempo had played a less-than-average but still competitive game up until that point; however, at the start of the 3rd quarter, the Tempo started to lose their focus and composure. The Mystics took full advantage of all the Tempo’s poor shots and turnovers, increasing their lead from 3 to 17 points.

    Credit also goes to Coach Sandy Brondello and her decision to pull the lineup with most of our starters with 3:32 left in the 3rd quarter and inserted Tima Pouye, Julie Allemand, Laura Juškaitė to play alongside Izzy and Maria Conde (or as we affectionately call the Euros and Izzy). The Tempo were down by 18 at that point and this lineup showcased ball movement, crisp and multiple passes, and a more fluid offense.

    While we cannot credit this lineup with the Tempo’s comeback, it did shrink the lead to 11 and the lineup battled hard to shift the energy of this game.

    Then, with 6 minutes left in the 4th, Marina Mabrey checked back in and, if you haven’t seen the highlights, you must. She went into God-mode and scored 13 points in just under 3 minutes (including three 3-pointers) to shave the Mystics’ lead from 13 to 3. With thirty seconds to go, she hit yet another 3 pointer making this unlikely comeback suddenly a possibility.

    With 17.7 seconds left, the Tempo – down by 1 – drew up a play where Slim drove using a screen all the way to the basket for an easy layup for the Tempo to go up by 1 with 11 seconds left. Could she have held it longer for the last shot? Sure. But, when you are that open, you take the points and let your defense win you the game. Ultimately, it was the right decision.

    Unfortunately, for the Tempo, Sonia Citron – who did not have a great offensive night – hit a fadeaway buzzer beater to win it for the Mystics.

    The Bad

    As inspired as we were by Mabrey’s epic performance in the 4th quarter, we have to be honest: the Tempo had no business winning this game. Similar to the Sun, the Mystics exposed the Tempo’s lack of frontcourt size and either dumped it into the post for Lauren Betts to use her size and impeccable footwork to score easily or they would kick it out to Onyenwere or Dugalic and they would attack the Tempo defender’s closeouts for a clear lane to the basket or muscle their way to the basket.

    The Mystics have not been shooting the 3-ball well this season (even Sonia Citron is just shooting 32% from 3) and they shot just 11% from 3 in this game, but the Tempo were still not able to defend the paint well. Overall, the Mystics outscored the Tempo 54-40 points in the paint.

    Similar to the Sun game, the Mystics also outrebounded the Tempo by a large margin, including ten more offensive rebounds – a recurring issue for the Tempo defense.

    The Outlook

    Next up for the Tempo is the Atlanta Dream. If we thought giving up offensive rebounds was an issue against both Connecticut and Washington, get ready for Angel Reese who leads the league in both defensive and offensive rebounds.  

    Atlanta is currently 8 – 4 in the season and fourth in the standings. They feature Reese in the front court, sharpshooters Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard in the back court, last season’s sixth player of the year award winner Naz Hillmon, and dynamic point guards in Jordin Canada and Te’hina Pao Pao.

    In short, this game won’t be easy. The hope is that Nyara Sabally will be able to return to the lineup and we can finally get a glimpse of the Tempo’s frontcourt together in action now that Temi Fagbenle is back in action. Even if Sabally can return, the Tempo will have to play their best ball to keep up with the Dream.

  • Tempo vs Sun Game Report – June 10, 2026

    Tempo vs Sun Game Report – June 10, 2026

    The Toronto Tempo won the franchise’s first overtime game, 106-102, in a topsy turvy nail biter against the Connecticut Sun.

    We break down the good, bad, and outlook from the game.

    The Good

    Things were not looking good for the Tempo in the first half. The Sun exercised a brilliant game plan, using their clear size advantage to perfection by dumping the ball into the post to Olivia Nelson-Ododa(ONO) or Aaliyah Edwards to dominate in the paint or kick it out for a 3. On the defensive side, ONO and Regan Beers, made it hard for the Tempo to get anything in the paint.

    In the 3rd quarter, however, the energy in the arena shifted thanks to the Tempo’s disruptive defense – poking balls away from passes and drives – leading to fast break points.

    With 5:42 left in 3rd, Beers went over top of Isabelle Harrison for a rebound. Izzy fought back and Beers ending up with a loose ball foul, sending Izzy to the line in the bonus. While Izzy only hit 1 of 2, the Tempo got the offensive rebound on the second missed free throw and Mabrey hit a logo 3. Next possession, Mabrey hit another 3 and the Coca Cola coliseum erupted in euphoria with the lead down to 2.

    And yet, every time the Tempo threatened to get the lead, the Sun responded by getting to the line or a crucial 3-pointer, including two from Saniya Rivers who has been shooting 19% from the 3-point line this season.

    But, from there, Brittney Sykes took her game to a whole new level. At one point, the Tempo seemed to have run out of ideas and just ran clear-outs for Slim. Did it work every time? No, but did it work enough? Absolutely!

    Give the Sun lots of credit for responding at every turn. In particular Edwards and Leila Lacan who had monster 4th quarters and ONO who took the air out of the arena with every free throw.

    On the Tempo side, in addition to the big scorers, we have to shout out the impact that Laura Juškaitė had, making impact plays that added up.

    With two minutes left in the 4th, the Tempo saw a massive call overturned from a Mabrey defensive foul to an illegal screen by ONO. Shortly after, ONO was called for her sixth foul, leading to more free throws for the Tempo, to tie the game. We will admit that both calls were questionable (as were others). Nevertheless, this was a massive turning point in the game that sent it into overtime. From there, the Tempo’s million-dollar backcourt led the team to a huge comeback victory.

    Finally, this was my first Tempo game being able to watch at the Coca Cola Coliseum and it was easily a 10/10 experience. The atmosphere is electric. The fans are loving this team. The vibes were immaculate.

    The Bad

    In many ways, this game felt like the worst-case scenario for Toronto’s smaller front court (without Temi Fagbenle). The Sun collected 18 offensive rebounds and got their hands on plenty more, and used their size to bully us, even with BG on the bench.

    Despite these persistent size and rebounding issues the Tempo persevered.

    Solving these issues without the return of Temi or adding more size to the roster isn’t straightforward. However, we are reminded of Gilbert Ngabo’s piece about this exact issue after a recent win over the Chicago Sky. In that piece, Coach Brondello said,

    “I know we’re undersized, but it just means everyone has to get in there and help, not just the bigs. It’s a mentality, a mindset to get in there”

    This game was another good reminder of what the Tempo need to establish to be able to hold their own in this league.

    The Outlook

    Next up, the Tempo head on the road to play the Washington Mystics. While the Mystics are young, they already have some impressive talent such as 2025 WNBA all stars, Sonia Citron, and Kiki Irafen.

    This team also features a front court full of size and strength, including Shakira Austin and Lauren Betts, and the Mystics will be smart to execute a similar game plan as what the Sun did tonight.

    The Tempo will have to bring that physical mindset to ensure that they don’t get bullied on the boards again on Friday.