It is Wednesday morning in Toronto. The first five days of the WNBA season have come and gone. The Tempo are 0-1, in their building tonight against the Seattle Storm at 7:30 PM.
I have been at three practices since the opener. Brondello's tone has not changed. The press conference quote that stuck after the Mystics loss was about the team holding the ball too long and forcing too many mid-range jumpers. That is the right diagnosis. The question this week was whether they could install a designed action that gets a different player a clean look in a tight game.
The answer is they have at least one new set. I cannot describe it specifically because the staff asked the media not to walk into game two telegraphing it. What I can say is that it features Brittney Sykes coming off a screen instead of standing in the corner waiting for a Mabrey kickout. That is the change that matters most. Sykes shot 4 of 18 in the opener with all five of her three-point attempts being uncontested catch-and-shoot looks from corner spots. None of them fell. Tonight she gets the ball moving toward the rim instead of waiting for it to come to her.
Five things to watch tonight.
Marina Mabrey volume. She took 18 shots in the opener and made 6. She also went 12 of 14 from the line because she gets fouled a lot when she drives. That FT volume is sustainable; the FG volume probably is not if she wants to be efficient over a 44-game season. Watch whether she takes 14 shots tonight instead of 18. If yes, the offense is more balanced. If no, the staff is still figuring it out.
Brittney Sykes shot quality. Per the change above. If she gets two or three looks coming off screens early in the game, that is the play call we have been waiting to see. If she is back in the corner spotting up, the offense is not fixed yet.
Julie Allemand minutes. She played 30 in the opener with 2 assists and zero turnovers. The 2 assists in 30 minutes is the number that bothers me. She is one of the savviest passers in the league but the Tempo offense ran through Mabrey iso so much there were no opportunities for the secondary playmaker. Watch her assist count. If she finishes with 5 or 6, the ball is moving.
The frontcourt vs Storm interior. Seattle is missing Ezi Magbegor, who was their best rim protector in 2025. Without her they are starting Stefanie Dolson and rotating Dominique Malonga and Awa Fam at the five. None of the three are imposing. Toronto got outrebounded 44-37 by Washington with Iriafen putting up 16 boards. Tonight should be different. If Toronto wins the rebounding battle by five or more, they are likely winning the game.
Kiki Rice creation. The rookie played 18 minutes in the opener and did not score. She also did not turn the ball over and threw a couple of advanced reads that did not lead to baskets because the finishers missed shots. The development arc for Rice is not points; it is plus-minus when she is on the floor. If she is plus-three or better in 18-22 minutes tonight, she is doing her job.
What this game means in the standings. The Tempo do not need to win this one to feel good about the season. Beating a Magbegor-less Storm at home would still be the kind of result that keeps the building loud and the players believing. Losing to a Magbegor-less Storm at home would create the kind of conversation Brondello does not want in week two.
What this game means tactically. The opener was a story of one player having to create everything. Tonight is the test of whether three days of practice produced a second scorer or whether Sykes catches the ball in the corner all night and Mabrey takes 18 more shots. The actions are subtle. Watch the inbound plays after a Tempo timeout. That is where new sets show up first.
What it means in the building. The opener crowd was 8,210 and loud the whole night. Tonight is a shorter notice for ticket buyers and a midweek game in a city that watches a lot of sports. I expect 7,500 to 8,000. The decibel level will not match the opener. The energy will be different. That is fine. The first regular-season game in a city is a one-time event. The second one is a basketball game. The Tempo need to play like that.
Tip is 7:30 PM ET. TSN has the broadcast in Canada. ION in the US. The Tempo Report will recap the game tomorrow morning, and I will be in section 119 with my notebook for what is, by my count, the 47th professional basketball game I have covered in this building over the last decade. Most of them did not have a sold-out women's basketball crowd. Last week's did. Tonight's might. Either way I will be there.
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