What to know
- The Toronto Tempo drew 20,996 fans in Montreal, breaking the previous WNBA regular-season attendance record of 20,711.
- Marina Mabrey and Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers each scored 34 points in the high-scoring matchup.
- Toronto led 56-52 at halftime, but Dallas pulled away in the fourth quarter to win 108-95.
- The Tempo will face the New York Liberty at the Bell Centre on Sunday, July 12, for their second Montreal game.
The Toronto Tempo may not have secured the win, but the team’s first game in Montreal still marked a historic night for the WNBA.
A sold-out crowd of 20,996 fans filled the Bell Centre on Friday, July 10, setting a new league record for attendance at a regular-season game.
The turnout surpassed the previous regular-season record of 20,711, which was set during a Washington Mystics game against the Indiana Fever on Sept. 19, 2024.
While two WNBA Finals games in Detroit drew larger crowds of 22,076 in 2003 and 2007, Friday’s Montreal matchup now stands as the most-attended regular-season game in league history.
The record was set during the Tempo’s first game in Montreal, where Toronto faced the Dallas Wings as part of the franchise’s Cross-Canada Series.
The series is bringing the Tempo beyond Toronto during its inaugural season, giving basketball fans in other parts of the country an opportunity to see Canada’s only WNBA franchise play in person. Toronto is scheduled to play one more game in Montreal before later taking the series to Vancouver.
The nearly 21,000 fans at the Bell Centre were treated to a high-scoring matchup, with Toronto guard Marina Mabrey and Dallas star Paige Bueckers each finishing with 34 points.
Mabrey connected on six of her nine three-point attempts, while Laura Juskaite added 25 points for Toronto.
The Tempo held a narrow 56-52 lead at halftime and remained competitive through the opening three quarters. However, Dallas took control late in the game, outscoring Toronto 24-10 in the fourth quarter to earn a 108-95 victory.
Bueckers also recorded six rebounds and six assists for the Wings. Jessica Shepard finished with 20 points and 17 rebounds, while Arike Ogunbowale added another 20 points.
The loss dropped the Tempo to a 9-13 record and extended the team’s losing streak to four games. Dallas improved to 15-8 and completed a four-game road trip.
Despite the result, the record-breaking crowd represented another major moment for professional women’s sports in Canada.
The Bell Centre has previously hosted large crowds for women’s professional sports, including a Professional Women’s Hockey League game between Montreal and Toronto that attracted 21,105 fans in April 2024.
Fans celebrated the latest milestone in the comments on Instagram, with many pointing to the crowd as proof that Canada was ready for its own WNBA franchise.
“Canada having a WNBA team was long overdue! The country showed up to support,” one person wrote.
“The crowd is amazing!! Go Tempo!! We love you!!” another added.
Others reflected on how quickly the expansion team has reached major milestones during its inaugural season.
“How many times are we just gonna casually make history this season?” one comment read, while another fan simply wrote, “Canada deserved women’s basketball.”
Friday’s turnout also showed the level of interest surrounding the Tempo as the expansion franchise works to build a fan base beyond its home market.
Toronto will return to the Bell Centre on Sunday, July 12, for its second and final game of the Montreal residency. The Tempo will face the New York Liberty at 3 p.m. ET before continuing its inaugural season and eventually bringing the Cross-Canada Series to Vancouver.
