MONTREAL - The Toronto Tempo played their first Cross Canada Series game in Montreal on Friday night, falling 108-95 to the Dallas Wings.
Despite the loss, history was made as the game broke the WNBA’s regular-season attendance record with a crowd of 20,966 fans at the Bell Centre. The previous record of 20,711 was set in 2024 in Washington, D.C.
“[This has] been years in the making,” Tempo forward Isabelle Harrison said after the game. “To be living in these actual conversations, to be right here, right now, it’s bigger than us.
I hope Canada is proud of us. We play every day for you guys, and we’re just really happy to be here.”
Harrison scored 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting from the field against the Wings, but it was Marina Mabrey who led the Tempo with 34 points. Forward Laura Juskaite scored a career-high 25 points along with three rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block.
On the other side of the court, Paige Bueckers also scored 34 – a season-high for the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year. Jessica Shepard supported the win with a 20-point, 17-rebound performance of her own.
In a neutral site on the Tempo’s Canadian turf, Wings fans showed out. There were moments that it almost felt like a home crowd atmosphere for the surging Wings, who have won their last four games and sit in fourth in the WNBA standings.
“We had four of our main players out, but we fought hard,” Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello said after the game. “We just ran out of gas, didn’t have enough in the tank to finish it off. But credit to Dallas.”
Friday’s Montreal premiere was also the first game of Kayla Alexander’s seven-day contract. The Canadian was signed to a hardship deal on Thursday, which marked her first stint in the WNBA since 2020. The two-time Olympian was brought to the Tempo to fill the team’s need in the frontcourt, with both Nyara Sabally and Temi Fagbenle out with injuries.
“A long time ago, me and Kayla were on the same team with San Antonio,” Harrison said. “I just know she’s a not too high, not too low player. She does her job. She rebounds, and we need that steadiness.”
Alexander will be available for the Tempo’s next two games at least as she completes her seven-day deal. From there, the Tempo can decide to sign her to another seven-day, or go in a different direction.
From Milton, Ont., Alexander was not expecting the call from the Tempo’s front office offering her the deal.
“Definitely shock,” Alexander said of her reaction to returning to the WNBA for her home team. “And then just gratitude and excitement.”
The strategy on bringing in Alexander is layered – her Canadian citizenship meant that she didn’t have to go through a delayed visa process, meaning she could start immediately with the team. The Tempo also knew bringing in an experienced player on a hardship contract would mean she would adapt easier to the WNBA’s fast pace and tough schedule.
“She’s an experienced post player, she’s played in this league,” Brondello said at morning shootaround on Friday. “I can remember the last game we had a hard time guarding her, when Australia played Canada at the World Cup qualifiers.
I think it’s easier for someone that’s been in the league or someone that has more international experience than a rookie coming in.”
“I just want to play hard, do what I can to help the team to be successful and have fun,” Alexander said of her goals for this week.
Friday was the Tempo’s fourth consecutive defeat. They have the league’s fourth-most difficult schedule the remainder of the season. On Sunday, they will play a second game in Montreal, this time against the New York Liberty.
“I thought the atmosphere was fantastic. It’s great to be up here and have the fans to come out and support the WNBA and the Tempo,” Brondello said.
