Tempo happy with improvement in first-ever WNBA win in franchise history

TORONTO —

Sandy Brondello said she was ready for it, but there was no avoiding getting drenched.

The expansion Toronto Tempo earned their first win in the WNBA by defeating the Seattle Storm 86-73 on Wednesday. The team opened its season at home last Friday and lost a 68-65 nail-biter to the Washington Mystics.

The Tempo celebrated by dousing their head coach with water.

“She thought it was cool coming in there and she just had her paper and then Kia (Nurse) had the keyword. (Sandy) didn’t hear it so we can’t say it again,” guard Brittney Sykes said. “We called our keyword and then we just lit her up with some water.”

“I was ready for it. I took my jacket off it. I knew it was going to happen. I was just, yeah, you don’t want to see these arms. That’s why I’m covering them up,” Brondello said, with towels over her shoulders and arms.

The win was more than just a step in the direction in improving for the Tempo.

“Amazing, especially for the fans,” said forward Maria Conde. “They show up every night. The other day, we were sad that we couldn’t get it for them. But tonight was just special, first win for coach, for the team, for the country. We just gotta keep building on this.”

Turning the page from the season opener was a point of emphasis, however, with Brondello referring to her team as “clunky” in the loss.

“It’s just one of those things where you look at last game, you don’t want to repeat it, win, lose, draw,” Sykes added. “We got better tonight, and that was the biggest takeaway. Seattle’s a really good team, and it’s just one of those things where we trusted each other.”

The game was a tale of two halves, with both teams playing a relatively even first half before Toronto turned things up several notches in the second half, especially defensively, outscoring Seattle 42-28 after going into halftime down 45-44.

That included an 18-6 run in the third quarter that saw Toronto’s lead jump to nine points, and gradually making it a double-digit game in the fourth with Marina Mabrey scoring 16 of her game-high 26 points in the second half.

Toronto also forced Seattle into 19 turnovers for the game.

“First half, we were scoring easily and then the defence was a little bit behind too and that’s a part of it. This is best players in the world here,” Brondello said. “But I thought we only kept it to 28 points in that second half, so when we need to, in both of these, they start with that defensive intensity.

“When we’re moving the ball and playing together, it looks good. So we made steps forward, obviously not our end destination. We know we can keep getting better, but it was nice to get the win and these players play like they did.”

Now the team looks ahead to a four-game road trip with stops in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Minnesota.

Considering how short of a time the team had together due to the expansion process taking place in April, after the league’s new CBA was signed in late March, it’s something Brondello sees plenty of good in.

“I love the road, I get to sleep a little bit more, but these players get to bond a little bit too, get to know each other, because we’re around each other all the time,” she said.

“They have their freedom here, but we’ve got six games in 11 days. It’s an opportunity for us to grow and face adversity when we will, but it shows the character of the team, how we’re going to respond to that. I’m excited about that.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 13, 2026.

Abdulhamid Ibrahim, The Canadian Press