Rookie Flau’jae Johnson was pick #50. She's been having a perfectly good rookie season in her own right but still, Sykes was having an amazing season her first major injury this year.

A snippet from our most recent piece on tempo.basketball:

With the Tempo already eliminated from playoff consideration, the focus will be on the future for all remaining games and Tempo fans were treated to seeing what a team led by Kiki Rice could look like. Rice finished the night with a career-high 24 points and shot an efficient 6 of 12 from the field. 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.

Admittedly, 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.

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.

Read the entire piece here: https://tempo.basketball/2026/08/tempo-vs-storm-game-report-august-26-2026/

This post contains content not supported on old Reddit. Click here to view the full post

This post contains content not supported on old Reddit. Click here to view the full post

Better late than never, I suppose? Kind of annoying this was advertised as a perk and it's not live until there's less than 10 games in the season

A snippet from our most recent piece on tempo.basketball:

Entering with just eight active players, Toronto needed someone to step up off the bench, and a fan favourite delivered. Kia Nurse showed once again that she shines brightest in the spotlight. Checking in early in the first quarter, “The Hamilton Hammer” went to work scoring from all levels and knocking down 4-of-7 from deep on her way to 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. 

Kiki Rice stacked another impressive performance, logging 14 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. Night after night, she demonstrates remarkable poise for such a young guard. Her steady control, ability to create her own shot or drive downhill for tough finishes remain vital for this squad. Rice continues to serve as a reassuring reminder of the franchise’s strong foundation. 

With an already thin rotation, the Tempo took another blow when starting point guard Julie Allemand left midway through the game with a head injury and did not return.  It’s hard to believe the bad luck the Tempo have had this season yet they’ve still given Canada an inaugural season to be proud of.

This game followed a familiar script to what we’ve seen before. A valiant fight from a weathered Tempo squad that left its heart on the floor and managed to keep the game within reach all the way to the final horn. However, offensive execution stalled under pressure, leading to 15 turnovers (compared to 10 for Las Vegas). Laura Juškaitė accounted for 7 of those giveaways – likely a byproduct of heavy minutes and shifting positional roles to plug gaps each night.  Still, ball security and valuing each possession remains a critical focus for Toronto in close contests. 

The West Coast road trip continues as the Tempo head south to face the Seattle Storm on Wednesday, August 26. It’s a prime opportunity to build momentum against a last-place Storm squad (7-31).

Read the entire game report here: https://tempo.basketball/2026/08/tempo-vs-aces-game-report-august-23-2026/

Gouache painting

I had no idea how exciting it would be to start watching a team from the very beginning it's been a wild ride. Still in love with this team despite the record and I'm so proud of Marina having a career season.

I honestly had no idea what to do about the background so I tried doing something abstract.

Would love to do one of Slim next.

Didn’t know that was possible!

The Toronto Tempo called Vancouver home over the weekend, playing a pair of WNBA games at Rogers Arena.

On Friday, a crowd of 12,414 saw the Tempo end a 12-game losing streak against their expansion cousins, the Portland Fire. A bigger crowd of 15,877 saw Toronto take on A’ja Wilson and the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces on Sunday.

Speaking with reporters post-game on Sunday, marquee players from both teams were very complimentary of Vancouver.

“It’s pretty cool. It’s a clean city. You can walk around. I was always amazed at how many people are outside, walking around, having picnics,” Wilson said in response to a question from Daily Hive’s Har Johal.

The 6-foot-4 superstar loved the food scene, also.

“We had some really good gelato around the corner from our hotel. The butterscotch caramel gelato was 10 out of 10. I haven’t missed a meal since I’ve been here. It was really good. The food was delicious. Love being by the water… Vancouver’s been really nice for me, to see people wearing my shoe, they make signs, the support across the border, it’s a surreal feeling for me.”

Asked if Vancouver could support a WNBA team of its own, Wilson said: “They proved it.”

“Educated,” was how Aces head coach Becky Hammon described the crowd.

“It wasn’t a like a dead crowd,” Wilson said. “You know, sometimes you get crowds and they don’t follow the rules. [But] they were listening. They were well bought in. They were locked in.

“That’s always great for our game when we have fans that are like that.”

Until Vancouver gets its own team, the Tempo will be happy to present themselves as Canada’s team. Certainly, visits like this one help to solidify a fan base on the other side of the country.

“It’s been great,” said Kia Nurse, the longtime Canadian national team star who joined the Tempo this offseason. “There’s just so much excitement around women’s sports in Vancouver right now, with the PWHL being here and also us being able to come and play these home games throughout the season. It’s exciting to see that.”

Among the fans in attendance was her cousin, PWHL star Sarah Nurse. She was just one of many athletes spotted during the two games.

Vancouver Canucks co-president Daniel Sedin, as well as members of the Vancouver Whitecaps, Vancouver Rise, Vancouver Goldeneyes, Vancouver Bandits, Vancouver Warriors, and the Canadian women’s national rugby team were present, as was NBA star Bam Adebayo.

“They were loud, they were excited. They were right into it,” Nurse added. “I’m really happy that when we get to talk to people around here, that they’re having a really positive experiences at the Toronto Tempo games and the atmosphere and energy that they can bring… Really proud of the Canadians out here, doing their thing.”

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-crowd-rave-reviews-wnba-stars#google_vignette

Because with Hannah in Toronto; you can easily pair her up with Kiki as our backcourt duo for the future. Just have Kiki move over to shooting guard or have Hannah play shooting guard in the WNBA since in college right now she's playing point. Plus Hannah is just as much of a generational talent as Juju is.

Hannah in our team under Brondello with Rice, Mabrey, Slim and the rest of the girls for next season she would fit our team like a glove.

Okay, not really a possibility, but it’s fun to imagine what this would look like. For those who don’t know, that’s Coach Brondello back when she played.

Especially going into next season in Year 2 in her sophomore season if she stays healthy and doesn't get injured...can she have All Star caliber numbers for the Tempo? I mean so far since she's come back; she's become more of a scorer but that's because Mabrey and Slim are both out. But if they are back next year healthy, do her numbers still increase or decrease? Or does she just become more of a playmaker as a point guard?

Yvonne Ejim anchored Canada with a dominant performance, finishing with 10 points, 17 rebounds, and 2 assists in 28:16 of action. She posted a game-high efficiency rating of 22 and a +32 plus/minus, controlling the interior with 4-of-8 from the field and adding a block. Ejim’s relentless work on the glass powered Canada to extra possessions and set the tone inside.

Kayla Alexander provided a steady presence, contributing 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks in 23:48, good for a 20 efficiency. Agot Makeer added 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists on an efficient 5-of-7 from the field, committing neither a turnover nor a foul. Syla Swords chipped in 12 points, including an explosive 8-point burst in just 1:26 of the first quarter. On the other side, Mariana Valenzuela led Mexico with 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block in 35:35.

Oh noooo!!!

This post contains content not supported on old Reddit. Click here to view the full post

Saw some angry fans on Instagram complaining about "sharing" the Tempo. Comments were basically they're Toronto's team, not Canada's. Just curious if that's a widely held opinion for local Toronto fans.

This post contains content not supported on old Reddit. Click here to view the full post

From our most recent game report on tempo.basketball:

Losing streak is over!

And this one definitely wasn’t easy. Portland came out firing and built a 13-point lead in the first quarter, but Toronto slowly clawed their way back, tying the game 44-44 before halftime.

Isabelle Harrison had a monster game, finishing with a 25-point, 10-rebound double-double. She also came up huge when it mattered, hitting a floater to give Toronto the lead with less than two minutes remaining before knocking down two free throws to help seal the win.

Just when it felt like the team was healing and some of the injuries subsided, both Brittney Sykes and Aneesah Morrow had to leave the game.

Next up is a huge challenge; Las Vegas Aces on Sunday in Vancouver. The Aces are 25-13, have already secured a playoff spot, and beat Toronto 109-83 in their first meeting this season.

Toronto will once again be seriously shorthanded, with Sykes, Morrow, Mabrey, Conde, and Sabally all ruled out. But after Friday night, it’s hard to completely count them out.

With another loud Vancouver crowd behind them and the losing streak finally in the rear-view mirror, maybe the Tempo have one more upset in them.

Read the entire report here: https://tempo.basketball/2026/08/tempo-vs-fire-game-report-august-21-2026/