With the WNBA set to return from the All-Star break, the Toronto Tempo are close to seeing one of their key players make a return to their lineup.
Rookie point guard Kiki Rice, who hasn’t played since suffering an ankle injury against the New York Liberty on June 3, was a full participant in practice on Monday and is listed as questionable for Tuesday’s road game against the Minnesota Lynx.
Head coach Sandy Brondello acknowledged the team won’t play Rice in games without giving her a decent amount of time to practise, but a full return is a close, according to TSN Tempo reporter Chelsea Leite.
Selected sixth overall by the Tempo, the 22-year-old has averaged 12.7 points. 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists over 10 games during her rookie season in the WNBA.
Rice was Toronto’s first draft pick in franchise history as the guard was fresh off winning a NCAA national women’s title with UCLA.
Forward Isabelle Harrison did not practice on Monday as she deals with a small knee injury suffered on July 20 in the last game before the All-Star break.
The 32-year-old, who scored a season-high 26 points in 22 minutes during July 20’s loss to the Las Vegas Aces, has not been completely ruled out for Tuesday’s game against the Lynx.
Forward Nyara Sabally, 26, practiced on Monday after missing the game against the Aces with a rib injury.
Veteran guard Brittney Sykes, 32, remains sidelined as she works her way back from a foot injury suffered on June 16.
Sykes was playing at an All-Star level before going down with the injury, averaging 20.1 points over 15 games.
Toronto has dropped seven of their last eight games to fall to 10-16 on the season, four games behind the Washington Mystics for the eighth and final playoff spot.
It’s not getting any easier for the Tempo as they will take on the first-place Lynx (22-6) in a home-and-home series before heading to California to battle the Golden State Valkyries (19-8) for two straight games.
Over the final 18 games of the regular season, the Tempo have 13 games against teams currently holding down a playoff spot.
