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  • Tempo vs Storm Game Report – August 26, 2026

    Tempo vs Storm Game Report – August 26, 2026

    Down four key players and on the road, the Toronto Tempo had one of their ugliest offensive games of the season and fell to the Seattle Storm 90 – 78. 

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

    The Good

    With Brittney Sykes, Marina Mabrey, Nyara Sabally, and Aneesah Morrow all out with injuries, Tempo fans were treated to seeing what a Tempo team led by Kiki Rice could look like. While she started off slow, Rice showed off her bag and exploded for 10 points in the second quarter. In addition to putting on a show with her strength and footwork during her drives to the basket, Rice also hit a big 3 and got to the line. At one point, Rice finished over three Storm defenders for a layup. 

    Rice finished the night with a career-high 24 points and shot an efficient 6 of 12 from the field.

    With the Tempo already eliminated from playoff consideration, the focus will be on the future for these remaining games. If tonight’s game was any indication, Rice already has the ability to create her own shot, undying hustle, and energetic defense. The sky is the limit for her.

    We also have to give a shout out to Isabelle Harrison. Over the entire game, Izzy stayed aggressive and looked for her shot when others were more timid. In the first half, Izzy’s combination of pick-and-roll and low post game found success. She also made a concerted effort to crash the glass which gave the Tempo life and energy when the game was still within reach.

    Unfortunately, the Seattle bigs improved on their defensive paint presence and Izzy did not find the same success in the second half, but it was nonetheless a good effort from Izzy. 

    The Bad

    Admittedly, besides some highlight-worthy plays from Rice and Izzy, this was an ugly offensive game from the Tempo. Overall, they only shot 37% from the field and 15% from the 3-point line. Although the Storm didn’t shoot the ball well either early on but the difference came as the game went along. The Storm played more cohesive and knew what butters and what doesn’t butter their offensive bread. 

    The Tempo, on the other hand, got into trouble when individual players were too impatient, or tried to make heroic plays on their own. On numerous times, this led to turnovers and easy Storm transition points. The Tempo also got into trouble when their offense stagnated and they settled for contested three-point shots.

    Tonight, the Tempo’s bench was noticeably shaky. Every time the Tempo ran a bench lineup of Teonni Key, Kia Nurse, Ornella Bankole, and Kiana Williams with one of our starters, the Tempo immediately lost momentum and the Storm would regain control of the game. Meanwhile, the Storm’s bench contributed 30 points compared to the Tempo bench’s 11 points. 

    With the Tempo’s ongoing injuries, we probably should have seen this coming. Williams, as an example, was only signed one day before this game and this was the first time this lineup has played together. It is just another example of the Tempo’s injury-plague season continuing to haunt this team. 

    Outlook

    With only six games left on the schedule, it is hard not to think about next season and, more importantly, the odds for the upcoming WNBA draft lottery. The Tempo currently have the second best lottery odds to land the number one pick in the draft who will undoubtedly be Juju Watkins – an absolutely generational talent who can change a franchise’s future. Even if the Tempo do not land the number one pick, the other two players slated to be selected next are Madison Booker and Hannah Hidalgo who would also be big gets for this Tempo team.

    With Sykes and Morrow being out for the season and no signs of Mabrey and Sabally returning anytime soon, Tempo fans might not have to decide whether they should cheer for the Tempo to tank or not. If the Tempo can’t beat last-place Seattle, this team may just have sealed its fate. The opportunity to add a Juju Watkins to this team, however, gives us hope for the future.  

    In the meantime, the Tempo will travel to Las Vegas to play the Aces. A win is unlikely, but it’s still worthwhile watching players like Kiki Rice get ample opportunities to showcase their talents, while other players, such as Teonni Key, will have opportunities to show us something more from their game. 

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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!

  • Tempo vs Storm Game Report – May 13, 2026

    Tempo vs Storm Game Report – May 13, 2026

    Emotions ran high as the Toronto Tempo got their first ever franchise win, beating the Seattle Storm 86-73. 

    In this piece, we break down the good and the bad from this game, and what to expect in their next game against the Los Angeles Sparks. 

    The Good

    After what Coach Sandy Brondello called was an ‘ugly’ offensive game for the Tempo after their first game against the Washington Mystics, there was a lot more to like about the Tempo’s offense in game 2. We saw much calmer, fluid, and improved ball movement and a more connected team. This resulted in a jump from a brutal 10 team assists in game 1 to 21 assists in game 2. 

    On defense, the Tempo also did an excellent job of disrupting the passing lanes, getting steals, and breaking out in transition. Believe it or not, this Toronto Tempo team is currently your league leader in steals!

    While we saw a taste of their transition game in game 1, the difference in this game was the execution. The Tempo scored 26 points off turnovers while the Storm only scored 14. 

    We have to give a shout out to Maria Conde who contributed with four 3-pointers. Her ability to shoot the 3 can end up being huge for this team.

    This site is also quickly becoming a Nyara Sabally fan site but we are loving the way she is playing on both sides of the floor. While containing Seattle’s bigs was a tall order, Sabally’s effort was admirable and she contributed 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. 

    In our last piece, we saw lots of potential from the Allemand and Sabally connection. This game saw another one of their highlights. We will continue to clamour for more of these plays throughout the season.

    Finally, we give the biggest shout out to Marina Mabrey’s shotmaking. 6 for 11 from the 3 point line with some incredible shots made in the second half including the highlight of the game. 

    The Bad

    As many feared and predicted, Seattle’s front court cooked us all night. Dominique Malonga and Stephanie Dolson got all the looks they wanted, whether it was a pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop. However, the Tempo managed to keep Seattle’s offensively talented guards in check. 

    The Tempo’s turnovers, especially between Slim and Mabrey, were also noticeable. As tempo.basketball creator, Arlin, said “if your two million dollar players are turning the ball over when passing to one another, that is not good”. 

    Sykes also didn’t have a good game on offense. And that can be summed up in one line: Driving Slim is good; shooting Slim is bad. In the long run, if this becomes a trend, other teams will expose this issue.

    The Future

    All in all, the vibes were impeccable and the Tempo should be really proud of this win.

    Next up, the Tempo play the Los Angeles Sparks. While the Sparks have started the season 0 – 2, they have built a team to compete now and they will be eager to right the ship.

    Containing Kelsey Plum will not be easy. She is a one-player highlight reel with her offensive array of step backs, speedy drives, hesitation moves, and sharp shooting. Slim’s defense will be put to the test. 

    Toronto’s clear weakness in the front court will be put to the test with the Sparks’ potent lineup of Dearica Hamby and Nneka Ogwumike. Also, don’t sleep on Rae Burrell. While she has been known to be an inconsistent player, when she is at her best, she can drive to the basket and finish like a taller Brittney Sykes. 

    This will also be Tempo’s first road trip. Our role players will also be put to the test with the need to produce in front of thousands of booing fans not screaming fans.