The Toronto Tempo hope the addition of newcomer Aneesah Morrow to an injury-riddled roster will make a difference when they get a rematch with the Golden State Valkyries on Tuesday night in San Francisco.
Acquired last week from Connecticut, Morrow was introduced to her new teammates on Sunday just hours before the opener of a two-game series, which host Golden State, using superior depth, won 96-79.
Morrow (11.6 points, 8.9 rebounds per game this season) did not suit up, but remaining in San Francisco between contests gave her an opportunity to become better acquainted with her new surroundings and increased her chances of making her Tempo debut on Tuesday.
Playing without their two leading scorers — Marina Mabrey (neck) and Brittney Sykes (foot) — and with Morrow watching, the Tempo (10-19) nonetheless remarkably had a 71-50 advantage in points from their starters on Sunday. The entire Toronto starting five scored in double figures.
But Toronto got a total of just eight points from four reserves who combined to shoot 3-for-16 overall and 0-for-8 on 3-point attempts.
Noting the short-handed roster and the fact her team held a five-point, third-quarter lead on the road against one of the league’s winningest teams, Tempo coach Sandy Brondello assured reporters that she was proud of her squad despite its sixth straight loss.
“I was happy with our effort and our resiliency,” Brondello said. “It’s my 27th year in this league, and I’ve never experienced anything quite like this (injury situation).”
Reserve Janelle Salaun has dominated the Tempo in each of the Valkyries’ two wins over the expansion club this season. After going for a career-high 26 points in an 83-75 triumph at Toronto last month, she also led the way on Sunday with a game-high 24.
Afterward, she insisted her team’s best play had been at the other end of the floor, where the Valkyries (20-9) had eight steals and five blocked shots while holding the Tempo to just 18 points in each of the final two quarters.
“When we set the tone (defensively), it just makes things easier for us on offense,” she said. “We find a better rhythm for sure.”
–Field Level Media
