What to know
- Toronto’s WNBA team, the Toronto Tempo, are just about halfway through their inaugural season.
- The Tempo is currently ranked ninth out of 15 teams, but needs to move up to the eighth spot to secure a spot in the playoffs.
- WNBA expert Savanna Hamilton says Tempo players need to stop getting injured, have good defense, and finish games strong to stay in playoff contention.
The Toronto Tempo are defying all expectations during their inaugural season, proving Canada was more than ready to show up in the WNBA and win.
One of two new expansion teams added to the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), the Toronto Tempo played their first in-season game on May 8 to a crowd that has been waiting over 20 years for the True North to enter the WNBA races.
Through the expansion draft, the free agency period, and the college draft, the Tempo acquired a roster of fresh talent and experienced players who finally had their moment to shine, paired with Sandy Brondello, one of the best coaches in the entire league.
Now that the WNBA season is just about halfway through, Now Toronto reached out to Savanna Hamilton, a sports broadcaster and women’s basketball analyst, to learn more about the Tempo’s performance thus far and what the team needs to do to make the playoffs.
Not a typical expansion franchise
The Toronto Tempo had big expectations to live up to when they first stepped on the court in late April. Not only did the team acquire some of the most experienced players in the league, they also had a bar to hit.
Last season, San Francisco’s expansion team, the Golden State Valkyries, made the playoffs during their first season, showing that a new team could be that good from the get-go.
“There wasn’t an expectation that Toronto would simply spend year one laying a foundation. The expectation was to be competitive,” Hamilton explained.
Despite dealing with injuries and lineup changes, the Toronto Tempo is currently ranked ninth out of 15 teams, a similar spot to where the Valkyries sat last year.
Hamilton said injuries have played a significant role in their season, with key star players being benched. Guard Brittney Sykes has missed five games with an injured left foot. Rookie Kiki Rice — who was drafted sixth overall in the college draft — has missed 10 games with a sprained foot. Centre Temi Fagbenle is also out with an eye injury. She says this has forced players into different roles and impacted their frontcourt depth.
Major highlights
The biggest highlight, Hamilton said, is the proof that Toronto belongs as a WNBA market. From the frequent sold out crowds at Coca-Cola Coliseum to the unbeatable atmosphere inside the arena, the city has shown a hunger for women’s basketball.
On the court, Hamilton said Marina Mabrey’s performance will be remembered for years. Drafted to the Toronto Tempo from the Connecticut Sun, Mabrey immediately became a force to be reckoned with.
“Marina Mabrey has become the face of the franchise. We all knew she could score, but she’s taken on an even greater leadership role and is playing some of the best basketball of her career,” she detailed.
During the June 25 game, she single-handedly scored a historic 53 points in one game, bringing the Tempo’s total to a record 125 points.
Other players, like Julie Allemand, who played for the Los Angeles Sparks last season, and Nyara Sabally, who was drafted from New York Liberty, are shining brighter on the Tempo as well.
Hamilton says Allemand is a stable point guard who has helped establish the Tempo’s “offensive identity.”
“You can see the trust her teammates have in her, particularly the chemistry she’s developed with the frontcourt.”
As for Sabally, Tempo head coach Brondello has said on the record that this has been the best season of Sabally’s career.
“After playing a more limited role in New York, she’s been given the opportunity to expand her game in Toronto.”
What does Toronto need to make the playoffs?
In the WNBA, only the top eight teams make the playoffs, which is scheduled to begin on Sept. 27, after the regular season.
Currently sitting in the ninth spot, with nine wins and 11 losses, the Toronto Tempo needs a push to edge into playoff contention.
Hamilton said there are three key things Toronto needs to secure their spot.
First, she said players on the top need to get healthy as injuries have plagued several frontcourt and backcourt players these past two months.
“It’s been difficult to build chemistry when your lineup has changed so frequently,” she explained.
Second, she said the Tempo needs to make being great at defense their identity and foundation. When players defend well, “they give themselves a chance to beat anyone in the league.”
Lastly, the Tempo needs to finish as strong as they start. Hamilton said the difference between being ninth in the league and being in a comfortable playoff position often comes in the last five minutes in a game.
With the second half of the 2026 WNBA season to go, Hamilton is confident that the Toronto Tempo will play even better.
“The second half of the season will tell us a lot about this group’s growth.”
