The Toronto Tempo hit the road for the first time since June 22 on Tuesday to kick off the unofficial second half of their season against Minnesota. It was the first of two games these teams will play this week, as the Lynx visit the Tempo at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday.
After a hot start, the Tempo cooled down in the middle of the game, only to heat up again in the final minutes. It wasn’t enough, as the Lynx had built a large lead and held off a Toronto comeback for a 100-93 victory.
“I was proud of them. We are down a lot of key players,” head coach Sandy Brondello said after the game. “We got every excuse, but we’re not making any excuses because we can still compete and take pride in what we’re doing.”
Toronto brought the game within one possession in the clutch, but Minnesota have their secret weapon: the MVP-calibre rookie Olivia Miles. Miles has the 2026 Rookie of the Year award locked, and has for months, and is even starting to generate real MVP discourse. The No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft just participated in her first All-Star Weekend, the sole rookie given the honour this year.
If she ends up getting the MVP vote, she’d be the first player to win MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season since Candace Parker did so in 2008. Miles led all scorers for the Lynx against Toronto with 24 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and one steal.
A key factor to Toronto’s effort was Maria Conde, the versatile Spanish wing that has had to do it all this season. The Tempo have been focusing effort on the glass, trying to win the rebound game, and Conde is a huge part of that. Her 20 points and 10 rebounds kept the Tempo with the Lynx at many points of the game.
“She’s been great for us all season long,” Brondello said of Conde. “Just her versatility, how hard she plays. You know what you’re going to get with Maria. I love when she’s aggressive.”
The Tempo beat the Lynx on the boards, with 36 rebounds to Minnesota’s 31, something Brondello made sure to point out.
“I think that’s great when our guards can get in there and help with the rebounding. We finally beat a team in rebounds, that was one of our goals going into it.”
For Conde, it’s about using her natural versatility to help the team in any way she can.
“I’m trying to be in the right spots. If I’m open to shoot, I just shoot it with confidence,” Conde said after the game. “I’m just trying to read the game as I go and try to be in the right positions also for my teammates to find me and be aggressive when I can.”
Another highlight for the Tempo was the return of their rookie, Kiki Rice, to the lineup. After suffering a grade three ankle sprain on June 3 against New York, Tuesday was Rice’s first game back. The rookie out of UCLA returned to Tempo practices last week.
I [told Rice] don’t put too much pressure on yourself,” Brondello said, “she’s been out for a while, we’ve changed a little bit how we play, but I thought she did well.”
“If anything, I’d like her to shoot more to be aggressive. She’s going to get better and better with more minutes that she plays.”
Rice ended the game with four points, four assists and three rebounds off the bench in 17 total minutes. She was on a minutes restriction as she readjusts to in-game conditioning, but should continue to ramp up in the next few games.
While the Tempo gladly welcomed back one key player, more were added to the injury report after the All-Star break. Brittney Sykes continues to be out with a foot injury she sustained in June. Nyara Sabally injured her ribs in the Tempo’s second-to-last game before the All-Star break and was out against Minnesota. The latest addition to the injury report is Isabelle Harrison, who is experiencing knee soreness and is considered day-to-day.
The Tempo’s inaugural season will always be remembered for the “what if” factor of health, but for now there is nothing to do except use the players available and trust the process.
“[We’re] process driven,” Brondello said. “These are the goals we want to achieve, just play hard and play together. I thought, for the most part, we did.”
Their roster has potential to change this week, though, as the league’s August 2 trade deadline approaches. While historically a non-factor in the WNBA season, the increase in roster spots, cap space, and value of draft picks means there could be more trade action this year. There are limitations, though, given the WNBA’s hard salary cap and 12-player roster requirement.
“it’s always hard, all front offices are going to try and explore,” Brondello said Tuesday of the impact the trade deadline has on a team. “I think that’s the nature of the business, and they should test how they can improve their team.”
The Tempo are rumoured to be active on calls around the league this week. The Athletic’s Annie Costabile reported on Tuesday that Toronto may be willing to shop a future first-round draft pick to obtain a young star centre for their depleted frontcourt. The risk is high, given the immense talent coming out of the draft in the next two years. Generational stars like Juju Watkins and Sarah Strong could be available.
“We’ll see if anything happens,” Brondello continued, “I think our front office will probably be exploring as well, too. We coach the players that we have right now, and they’re a good group to coach.”
