Five Things to Know: Where the Toronto Tempo stand after the WNBA all-star break

The Toronto Tempo resume their season with a stop in Minneapolis against the league-leading Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night.

Here’s what you need to know about the Tempo when they return from the WNBA all-star break:

MONEY MABREY — Shooting guard Marina Mabrey has been the breakout star of the Tempo’s inaugural season. She’s averaging 21 points, 3.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game this year. Her 3.3 three-pointers per game are the most in the WNBA. She had 23 points, including 5-for-12 shooting from beyond the arc, for Team Coop in a 129-122 loss to Team Spoon at the WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday.

INJURY BUG — Toronto’s starting lineup has yet to play a game together in the team’s inaugural season. Starting guard Brittney Sykes (left plantar fascia) has been out since June 16 and there’s no set timetable for her return. Head coach Sandy Brondello was more optimistic on Sunday about forward Kiki Rice (ankle sprain), who has been out since June 3. Rice participated in a full practice on Monday morning and was listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game in Minnesota.

RUNNING OUT OF TIME — The Tempo (10-16) sit 10th in the league standings with 18 games left in the season. Toronto trails the eighth-place Washington Mystics (14-12) for the final playoff spot. The Tempo have the second-hardest strength of schedule in the WNBA with an average win percentage of .552. That includes four games against the top two teams in the league: Minnesota and the Golden State Valkyries.

BIG BANK — Scotiabank Arena will host the Tempo’s next two home games on Thursday versus the Lynx and again on Aug. 18 against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. That arena has nearly 12,000 more seats than Toronto’s usual home venue of Coca-Cola Coliseum. The Tempo’s first game at Scotiabank Arena — home of the Raptors and Maple Leafs — was an 89-80 loss to the Phoenix Mercury in front of 15,687 fans on June 27.

BRONDELLO RETURNS — Tuesday’s game will see Brondello return to the Tempo’s bench after a one-game suspension for referring to Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese as a “protected species.” The comment, picked up by the broadcast after Reese drew a foul on Toronto player Nyara Sabally, quickly drew criticism.

Brondello, a former player who has won two WNBA titles, is Australian. The “protected species” phrase is used in Australian sports to express frustration over a lack of calls against a player. However, in the U.S., the phrase suggests that someone isn’t human and could be seen as derogatory toward Black people. Brondello apologized the next day, which Reese accepted, saying she appreciated the league’s swift action.

— With files from The Associated Press.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2026.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press