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  • Tempo 101: What to Expect from Toronto Tempo Basketball

    Tempo 101: What to Expect from Toronto Tempo Basketball

    Tempo fans! The wait is finally over. Tonight, the Toronto Tempo tip off against the Washington Mystics to start their inaugural season. 

    For anyone checking out the game tonight that are less familiar with what to expect from the team on the court. This primer is for you. Here, we provide an introduction to what the Tempo’s style of basketball might look like, who you should be looking out for, and their potential areas of weakness. 

    The Stars

    The two marquee players on this Tempo team who will take on most of the initial spotlight are Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes.

    At her best, Mabrey is a deadeye shooter who can heat up in an instant to hit tough 3-pointers and long 2-pointers from anywhere on the court. Look for her to be the team’s primary option and our leading scorer throughout the season. Mabrey is also very well known for her temper and is not shy to get messy on the court if players dare cross her, which adds another layer of drama and unpredictability to her game. Fans could end up loving and hating Mabrey at the same time. 

    @brwsports

    Mabrey and Johannes were called for a double-foul, while Rivers was assessed a tech (first of her career), after the exchange. #wnba #womensbasketball #nyliberty #connecticutsun

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    2025 WNBA all-star Brittney Sykes’ offense comes from her ability to drive to the basket and weave her way past defenders, using her speed, angles, and crafty dribbling. Sykes is also a very smart cutter off the ball and can find gaps and get herself open for a layup. On defense, Zulfi Sheikh of Raptors Republic said it best, Sykes is a “point-of-attack pest“. In this piece, Sheikh she is a four-time all defense and two–time steals champ. Sykes also has a ridiculously long wingspan. Look for her to disrupt the other team’s best perimeter players (think Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu). 

    The X-Factors

    On offence, point guards, Julie Allemand and Kiki Rice, will be key to unlocking this Tempo offence. While Sykes and Mabrey can create their own shot, most of the other players on the Tempo rely on being fed the ball and finishing plays. 

    Temi Fagbenle and Nyara Sabally, for instance, both have similar strengths in the pick and roll. Getting them driving toward the basket with speed and force is when they are at their best and developing a chemistry with Allemand and Rice respectively will be key to translating those strengths into points. 

    On the perimeter, Kia Nurse and Lexi Held are knockdown shooters who work best when they find themselves open without the ball. Allemand and Rice being able to command the ball and find these players in their spots where they are at their best will be critical.

    Also, look for Kiki Rice to continue developing her own scoring over the course of the season. In last week’s two preseason games, we already caught a glimpse of Rice being able to post up her defender then working to blow by them for layups. If Rice is able to develop a multifaceted isolation game effectively by year 1, the sky is the limit for her. 

    The Style of Play

    As reported by Ian Finlayson, Coach Brondello stated that she wants the Tempo to be a tough, defensive minded team with a keen eye on limiting the opposing teams’ transition opportunities. 

    On offence, Brondello stated that the Tempo strive to be a “five-out team, predominantly. And just getting used to that, because some of them are not used to that, and getting comfortable with the movement. You know, we like to move the ball. Point-five mentality, you’ll hear me say that a fair bit. We don’t like to hold it, we want to move it, but then also how do we create advantages?” 

    Point-five basketball can be crudely defined by a player – once receiving the ball – having 0.5 seconds to decide if they are going to shoot, dribble, or pass. This system sees players moving at all times with multiple actions on one play (we’ll get back to that term in a second) in an effort to continually create and stack advantages to find the best opportunity to score.

    Because of this system, look for the Tempo to use a lot of screens (both on the ball and off the ball) and cuts (from players who don’t have the ball), and very fast passing. 

    Coincidentally, the Toronto Raptors also run this type of 0.5 offence. Imagine the Raptors when they were at their best on offense is how the Tempo would like to play. 

    Finally, a five-out offense will help to maximize spacing on the floor for players like Sykes and Rice to drive to the basket with an option for layups or kick it out to players like Mabrey, Nurse, and Held for open 3-pointers. 

    The Areas of Weakness

    Looking at the current Tempo roster, it’s clearly guard-heavy at the moment. Our front court is thin and this lack of size can end up being the most significant area of weakness on both ends of the court.

    From the depth perspective, the team will be reliant on Fagbenle and Sabally. Isabelle Harrison is currently out with an injury. Teonni Key and Laura Juškaitė both showed hustle in the preseason but also a lack of polish. Newly signed, Mariella Fasoula, could bring a different look for Brondello’s team with her passing ability and footwork in the post, but that is a hopeful take until we see how she does against competition in the W. 

    On offense, as mentioned above, Fagbenle and Sabally have similar strengths. Will that become too predictable and easy for opposing teams to game plan for?

    On defense, the Tempo’s lack of depth might make taking on teams with lots of size, like New York, Atlanta, Washington, and Seattle, problematic. 

  • Tale of Two Cities: Season Outlooks for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire

    Tale of Two Cities: Season Outlooks for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire

    The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire will officially kick off their inaugural seasons this week. While both teams will often be mentioned together under the same breath as the two new expansion teams, the paths that they have taken to building their respective teams couldn’t be more different. 

    What holds for the future of these two expansion franchises? We break down the dramatically different approaches these two teams took to building their teams this offseason and their best and worst case outlooks for this season (and into the future). 

    Portland Fire

    Portland Fire

    The Portland Fire began their team-building process by selecting mostly young players with potential in the expansion draft, bookended by Bridget Carleton and Carla Leite (who is also young but showed in her rookie season that she is a starter-level point guard worthy of more minutes and responsibility). 

    Next, in the rookie draft, the Fire further drafted Iyana Martin Carrion from Spain who is slated to not come over to the WNBA until next season. They also drafted Frieda Buhner, another international player in the second round. 

    Finally, the Fire had a relatively quiet offseason, signing two role players in Karlie Samuelson and Megan Gustafson.

    Portland’s Best Case Scenario

    For their inaugural season, the Fire will be looking for their younger players to develop and hope that some will have breakthrough seasons. Carla Leite, for example, will have an opportunity to put up big numbers and command the offense from day one. Nyadiew Puoch, a first-round pick in 2024, spent the last couple of seasons playing in the WNBL in Australia where she impressed with her exceptional athleticism and length. She will have lots of runway to grow her game in Portland. Finally, look for Sarah Ashlee Barker and Luisa Geiselsoder to take on bigger roles and elevate their production. 

    Realistically though, the Fire are playing for the future. Some have even wondered if this is the team’s way of posturing to get to the number 1 draft pick in either the 2027 and/or the 2028 WNBA draft with the chance of drafting Juju Watkins in ‘27 and/or Sarah Strong in ‘28. If the Fire land the number one pick in either season, the opportunity to draft a franchise-changing player will make any and all losses this season worth the patient approach. 

    Portland’s Worst Case Scenario

    If some of the Fire’s young talent translates their potential into productivity and the team is not as bad as other teams that might also be playing for the future (see Connecticut Sun) OR if the draft lottery Gods are not on their side, Portland might not end up winning the Juju Watkins derby. While there is plenty of talent available in the 2027 WNBA Draft, not getting Juju would be a massive disappointment. 

    Toronto Tempo Logo

    Toronto Tempo

    The Toronto Tempo, on the other hand, have taken swing after swing in this very short offseason. This includes the signing of coach Sandy Brondello – one of the winningest coaches in WNBA history – months before the CBA was signed. 

    The expansion draft saw the Tempo select a top-30 player in Marina Mabrey along with older players with experience, including Julie Allemand, Kitija Laksa, Maria Conde, and Nikolina Milic. 

    In the rookie draft, Toronto selected Kiki Rice with the 6th pick, who played a huge role in helping UCLA win the NCAA National Championship only a week before the draft.  

    The swings continued in the offseason, where Toronto signed another top-30 player and 2025 all-star, Brittney Sykes, and tried to lure restricted free agent, Shakira Austin, from the Washington Mystics (which the Mystics matched so Austin will remain a member of the Mystics). 

    The Tempo didn’t stop there. They filled the roster with even more veterans in Temi Fagbenle, Isabelle Harrison, and Canadian basketball royalty, Kia Nurse. 

    For any Tempo fans that wanted to hit the inaugural season ground running, Toronto did just that. 

    Toronto’s Best Case Scenario

    While it would be unrealistic to expect Toronto to compete for a championship, the Tempo have made it clear that they want to compete and make the playoffs in their inaugural season. They will certainly have a chance but the league is deep and the road won’t be easy. Judging by the first two preseason games (and take that with a big grain of salt), a lot of work is needed for this team to come together and gel, especially on offense. However, Toronto has the talent to be competitive every night. More importantly, if the attention received thus far has been any indication, this team has a chance to capture the hearts and minds of fans across the country. 

    In the future, the infrastructure that the Tempo are building, along with the success in a market like Toronto, might also help to lure a marquee free agent in the next few seasons. 

    Toronto’s Worst Case Scenario

    All the big swings that Toronto also comes with some significant risk. Yes, both Sykes and Mabrey are top-30 players, but can you win meaningful games against top tier teams with a good (potentially very good) but not great team? 

    If not, the Tempo run the risk of being a team stuck in WNBA purgatory (i.e. the middle of the standings, where you aren’t good enough to win a championship and not bad enough to be able to have high draft picks in future rookie drafts). 

    We also wonder if the big contracts given to Sykes, Mabrey, and Fagbenle can result in positive or equal value in the future if the Tempo looks to trade these players. 

    From a future standpoint, Portland may have positioned themselves into a cleaner path towards finding long-term success while there is real risk of swinging and missing from Toronto. 

    Nevertheless, this is year 1 of a long and prosperous franchise. Rather than dwelling on future strategy, we urge fans (especially sickos like us) to enjoy the ride this season! 

  • Top 3 Draft Targets – Toronto Tempo

    Top 3 Draft Targets – Toronto Tempo

    After a frenzied weekend of free agency activity, the Toronto Tempo almost have a fully formed inaugural team (all the players that are currently on the Tempo roster can be found here). The fact that they have the sixth pick in the WNBA rookie draft is simply a cherry on top! 

    Toronto does not have to overthink this. They should simply take the best talent available. 

    Here are the top 3 players who we think the Tempo should consider picking with the 6th pick and how they might fit with the current roster. 

    1. Kiki Rice

    Recent NCAA National Champion, Kiki Rice, already has a very polished game. A 5’11” point guard, Rice has size, athleticism, poise, intelligence, and leadership. Her drives to the basket on fast breaks and in the half court are elite. She is unflappable with the ball in her hands and rarely turns the ball over. Over recent years, she has improved her shooting. On defense, she is an elite perimeter defender who can guard players bigger than her. What further separates Rice apart are her intangibles. If you’re not convinced, read Jack Moloney’s piece on Rice’s work ethic and leadership qualities and you will see that she will be a winning player in the W, maybe even on day one. 

    Fit with Tempo: Rice offers a clean fit. While she might come off the bench to start the season, she can be mentored by Julie Allemand, while commanding the second unit. Then, we can anticipate that Rice can take over the starting role by the end of the season. 

    2. Flau’jae Johnson

    Flau’jae Johnson is an electric talent. She is dynamic offensively with an array of step back, pull up, and side-step jumpers, and drives to the basket. She is also an accomplished defender. Off the court, Flau’Jae trailblazes as a hip hop artist and fashion icon. Yes, these off-the-court accomplishments shouldn’t matter as much, but we just think that Torontonians would love Flau’Jae and Flau’Jae would love Toronto in return. The only knock on Flau’Jae is that her stats last season dipped from past seasons. We think she is still very much worth the pick. 

    Fit with the Tempo: There would be an immediate logjam with Flau’Jae and Sykes at the shooting guard position. Knowing Sandy Brondello’s preference for playing veterans, it would be shock if Flau’Jae would win that starting spot over Sykes. However, Flau’Jae could start the season as the team’s sixth player to provide instant offense off the bench with the potential of becoming a full-time starter. 

    3. Gianna Kneepkens

    While best known as someone who can shoot the lights out from 3, Kneepkens should actually be billed as a 3-level scorer. Yes, she can shoot the 3, but she can also put the ball on the floor, get to a gap in the mid-range and shoot a fadeaway or a spinning one-legged shot. Kneepkens is a very creative and fearless scorer who was 0.7 field-goal percentage points shy of a 50-40-90 shooting season (49.3 FG%, 42.9 3PT%, 93.3 FT%).

    On the defensive side, Kneepkens might have a hard time staying in front of quicker guards on defense, but she’s a good enough passer and cutter to contribute in areas beyond only shooting.

    Fit with Tempo: similar to Flau’Jae, considering the money that has been devoted to Sykes and Mabrey, it would be hard to picture Kneepkens’ role other than coming off the bench to start the season. How her role evolves over the course of the season will be determined by how quickly her game develops to be able to contribute consistently.

    Toronto Tempo Fan Zone | WNBA Basketball
    Toronto Tempo Fan Zone | WNBA Basketball
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  • How to Feel About the Toronto Tempo Expansion Draft

    How to Feel About the Toronto Tempo Expansion Draft

    If you are a Toronto Tempo fan who is not sure how to feel about the results of the expansion draft, this analysis is for you!

    In Short

    The Tempo didn’t draft alongside expectations (what do you mean, Portland scooped Bridget Carlton?!). Whereas Portland drafted younger players with potential for upside (i.e. basketball slang for “long-term potential”), Toronto took a page out of Golden State Valkyries’ book and drafted more experienced players who will be ready and able to contribute on day one. They also drafted some players who we see are more high risk, high reward. However, the road to team building has just started. The Tempo will have the rookie draft on April 13 (where they will be able to find youth to balance out their roster), then free agency to shape this inaugural roster. If all players selected from the expansion draft make the team, look for Marina Mabrey to be our number 1 offensive option; Nyara Sabally to show pops of brilliance as our rim protector and pick and roller, and Lexi Held and Kitija Laksa to become unsung fan favourites by the end of the season.

    Deep Dive

    All in all, the Tempo did not draft alongside expectations. They didn’t go with the Canadian sentimental story and draft a bunch of Canadian players. They didn’t draft a bunch of Australian players to reunite them with coach Sandy Brondello. They also didn’t draft young upside players, which was the strategy that Portland actually took (and admittedly, the direction we had hoped the Tempo would take in our mock draft). Instead, Toronto took a page out of Golden States’ book and drafted more experienced players who can contribute on day one.

    Take Mabrey, for example. Most fans were devastated (including us) that Bridget Carleton got scooped by Portland, but comparing them side-by-side, Mabrey is a superior talent who has performed like a borderline all-star, while Carleton has been considered a high-level starter in the W. Portland selected Carla Leite who just came off her rookie year showing flashes of brilliance with her passing and footwork. The Tempo selected Nyara Sabally who – when healthy – swung championship games two seasons ago for the New York Liberty.

    The Tempo opted to select players to create a competent and competitive team in their first season.

    The one pick we do have questions about is picking Julie Allemand as the first pick. As Monica Wright Rogers said, “The biggest thing about (Allemand) was just her ability to control the tempo and be a facilitator and a floor general. With a head coach like Sandy Brondello, I think there was no doubt that if a player like that was available to us, that duo would put our offence in great hands.”

    This pick – and Monica’s quote – could signal to fans that the “tempo” for Toronto is going to be steady, methodical, and patient rather than an uptempo bombastic banger. Let’s see whether this was ultimately the right choice.

    Quick Take on Each New Toronto Tempo

    Julie Allemand – Allemand is a steady floor general. She is not flashy, but also not turnover prone. The great Sabreena Merchant summarized her role on the Tempo perfectly, “Allemand’s table-setting will also allow the Tempo to better evaluate the players around her.”

    Marina Mabrey – Mabrey is a bonafide shot taker and maker who has the highest floor of all picks during the draft. She has been a borderline all star, but can also be a messy player (this actually happens A LOT. She is infamous for her crash outs). The other downside? She is prone to getting tunnel vision and forgetting to pass. There is a future where Tempo fans lose patience for Mabrey. Ultimately, she is very much a high risk, high reward player.

    Nyara Sabally – Two seasons ago, Sabally showed signs of being an elite rim protector on defence and a high energy rim runner on offence. She was key in turning around the deciding game for the New York Liberty to become the 2024 WNBA champions. Unfortunately, Sabally was mostly injured last season and she has struggled to stay healthy throughout her career. The Tempo are taking a risk here and, if it pays off, we can see a pick-and-roll game between Allemand and Sabally as being potentially a go-to move for the Tempo.

    Aaliyah Nye – Nye is one of the few young upside made picks by the Tempo. As a rookie last season, she was billed as a sniper from the 3-point line and showed some signs of being that for the Aces. We are surprised Vegas didn’t protect her. If she becomes that reliable 3-point shooter, this is an excellent pick.

    Lexi Held – Held was one of those unknown players who came into Phoenix last season and made a consistent impact for a team who made it to the WNBA finals. Held is an off-ball guard who can pass and create for herself on offence, and is a feisty defender on the other side of the court.

    Maria Conde – While Conde is not the most well known amongst WNBA fans, after the expansion draft, Eli Horowitz – Assistant General Manager of the Toronto Tempo – stated, “Maria Conde was really a target for us. We believe she’s one of the best players in all of Europe who’s never been in the WNBA.” This is very high praise and we will be looking forward to seeing more from her hopefully this season.

    Maria Kliundikova – Kliundikova stepped into a bigger role for the Minnesota Lynx last season after Napheesa Collier was injured and she not only played huge crunch time minutes in big time games for a stacked Lynx squad, she was also not afraid to take big shots when she was on the floor during those games. She might be what Bill Simmons likes to call, the “irrational confident” player.

    Adja Kane – Kane is a younger player from France who we are not sure will be coming over to the W this season, or if this was a “stash” pick by the Tempo. Regardless, she was initially drafted by New York, so you can assume Coach Sandy Brondello knows what the Tempo will be getting by selecting Kane.

    Nikolina Milic – Similar to Conde, Milic is an experienced player with lots of international experience and not a lot of WNBA experience. We will have to see if she makes her way to the WNBA this season or if she continues to play overseas with her rights reserved by the Tempo.

    Kitija Laksa – Laksa is a smart, unflappable, and well rounded player who has good size and makes an impact on both sides of the court. She could end up becoming a fan favourite for Tempo fans, especially the sickos.

    Kristy Wallace – Wallace is a feisty guard and a tenacious defender. She also has lots of experience overseas and can provide stability on the bench.

    Toronto Tempo Fan Zone | WNBA Basketball
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  • Expansion Draft Results

    Expansion Draft Results

    On April 3rd 2026 the Toronto Tempo participated in the WNBA Expansion Draft 2026. Below are Toronto’s 12 picks, in order of their draft.

    Pick 1 – Julie Allemand (Los Angeles Sparks)

    A steady veteran point guard who may not be the most flashy and exciting but will help to steward the ship for the inaugural Tempo squad.

    Pick 2 – Nyara Sabally (New York Liberty)

    A terrific pick and roller, defender, and hustle rebounder. Sabally singlehandedly swung a championship game for the Liberty in 2024. She just needs to stay healthy.

    Pick 3 – Marina Mabrey (Connecticut Sun)

    Tough bucket taker and maker. She can drop 30 on a dime, but is also notorious for being messssssssy. Get ready to laugh and cry at her crash-outs.

    Pick 4 – Aaliyah Nye (Las Vegas Aces)

    She came into the league last season billed as one of the best 3-point shooters of the draft, but didn’t get as much playing time in Vegas down the stretch last season. She should benefit with more playing time.

    Pick 5 – Lexi Held (Phoenix Mercury)

    An absolute sharpshooter from Phoenix who plays with pace, hustle, and athleticism.

    Pick 6 – MarĂ­a Conde (Golden State Valkyries)

    Veteran player with most of her experience overseas. She’s a crafty player who knows where to be and how to contribute on both sides of the floor.

    Pick 7 – Maria Kliundikova (Minnesota Lynx)

    A fearless player who stretches the floor and was notably impactful for an already stacked Lynx team. She has the ability and confidence to take and make big shots. 

    Pick 8 – Adja Kane (New York Liberty)

    She has yet to make her debut in the W, but Adja Kane has shown lots of potential in France.

    Pick 9 – Nikolina Milić (Connecticut Sun)

    A veteran Euroleague centre who can post and stretch the floor.

    Pick 10 – Kitija Laksa (Phoenix Mercury)

    A smart and versatile two-way player who can do a bit of everything. Tempo fans are going to love her.

    Pick 11 – Kristy Wallace (Indiana Fever)

    A solid back-up PG veteran who can scrap with the best of them. Does Toronto now have the league’s scrappiest team?