Toronto Tempo snap 12-game skid before falling to Aces in Vancouver
The WNBA expansion franchise, eliminated from playoff contention last week, split a pair of games on a short-handed roster hit hard by injuries.
The Toronto Tempo, in their first WNBA season, ended a 12-game losing streak on Friday with an 82-79 win over fellow expansion team the Portland Fire in Vancouver, before losing 88-78 to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Sunday. Toronto sits at 11-26 and was eliminated from playoff contention last week.
Injuries have plagued the Tempo all season. The team dressed just eight players against Las Vegas, a number that dropped to seven after point guard Julie Allemand left the game with a head injury in the first half. Guard Kia Nurse led Toronto with 19 points, one of five players in double figures.
Head coach Sandy Brondello said the depleted roster has tested the team but pointed to the players' resilience as a sign of character while the franchise builds its foundation. Development forward Ornella Bankole, activated for Sunday's game, contributed four points, three rebounds and two assists in her WNBA minutes.
Nurse, an eighth-year veteran and Canadian Olympian, said the expansion season has required patience as the organization builds its culture from scratch, and noted the growth of women's professional sports across Canada, including the WNBA's arrival in Toronto alongside the PWHL and Northern Super League.
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