Toronto Tempo suddenly look like one of the WNBA’s most dangerous offensive teams originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Toronto Tempo entered the WNBA season with curiosity surrounding their roster construction, but five games into the year, something much more serious may be developing. They can absolutely score with anybody.
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Tuesday night’s 98-90 road win over the Phoenix Mercury was the clearest example yet of what Toronto could become when its backcourt catches fire. Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey combined for 61 points, burying Phoenix with perimeter shooting and relentless offensive pressure in one of the most explosive performances by any WNBA duo this season.
And the scary part for the rest of the league is how sustainable parts of it looked.
Brittney Sykes is playing like an offensive engine
Sykes finished with 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists while shooting 10-for-19 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free throw line. But beyond the numbers, it was the pace and control she played with that stood out most. Toronto repeatedly trusted her to initiate offense in big moments, and Phoenix never consistently slowed her downhill attacks. Whether she was getting to the rim, creating contact or collapsing the defense for kick-out opportunities, Sykes dictated the game for long stretches.
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That matters because Toronto’s ceiling may depend on whether Sykes can consistently operate as a primary offensive creator rather than simply an energy player or defensive specialist. Through five games, the answer appears to be yes.
Marina Mabrey gives Toronto another level offensively
While Sykes pressured the paint, Mabrey stretched Phoenix beyond its comfort zone. The veteran guard dropped 30 points and knocked down six three-pointers, repeatedly punishing the Mercury whenever help defenders lost track of her movement around the perimeter. Toronto finished 15-for-36 from deep as a team, while Phoenix managed only four made threes all night. That difference completely changed the game.
The Mercury actually shot the same overall percentage from the field as Toronto at 46 percent and dominated points in the paint 52-26. But the math eventually became overwhelming because the Tempo kept creating efficient perimeter looks while Phoenix struggled badly from outside.
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In today’s WNBA, that kind of shot profile can erase a lot of flaws.
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Toronto is becoming one of the league’s more interesting teams
Expansion teams are usually expected to spend their early months simply trying to stay competitive. Toronto already looks beyond that phase. At 3-2, the Tempo are beginning to establish an offensive identity built around aggressive guard play, spacing and tempo control. Rookie Kiki Rice continues to look comfortable running stretches of the offense, while role players like Laura Juskaite and Maria Conde are fitting naturally into the system.
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There will still be defensive questions moving forward, especially against elite frontcourts. Phoenix exposed parts of that by consistently attacking inside behind Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas and Natasha Mack.
But Toronto’s offense is quickly becoming too dangerous to dismiss. For an expansion franchise still learning how to win together, that is a massive development.
