The expansion Toronto Tempo look to stay hot and in the thick of the Commissioner’s Cup race with a visit on Friday to the struggling Washington Mystics.
Toronto (7-5, 2-1 in the Commissioner’s Cup) enters on a two-game winning streak, riding big production from veteran guards Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey. The duo combined for 59 points in Wednesday’s 106-102 overtime win over the Connecticut Sun.
Mabrey scored 21 points while Sykes, who ranks third in the WNBA in scoring at 21.6 points per game, far eclipsed her average with a career-high matching 38 points on 11-for-20 shooting against Connecticut.
“We put the ball in her hands a fair bit near the end, and she made great things happen,” said Tempo coach Sandy Brondello.
Sykes helped overcome an 11-point halftime deficit, scoring 14 of her points in the fourth quarter and overtime.
“We weren’t happy with the way we played,” Brondello said of the first half, admitting that the win “shows we’re a resilient bunch.”
Washington (4-6, 1-2 in the Commissioner’s Cup) has lost its last two games, most recently a 78-76 heartbreak to the Indiana Fever on Monday. Rookie Cotie McMahon gambled on a steal in the final seconds and missed, leaving Caitlin Clark open to bury a 3-point game-winner with 1.2 seconds to play.
Given that Washington’s 13-player roster includes just two players who are not rookies or second-year players, growing pains seem inevitable for the Mystics. Against Indiana, they were paced by Michaela Onyenwere, 26, who is the oldest Mystics player. Onyenwere scored 17 points and guards Sonia Citron and Georgia Amoore each added 12.
Washington was without standout forward Kiki Iriafen for most of the Indiana game after she sprained her ankle in the early minutes. Iriafen is averaging 14.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
“We just came up short one possession,” said Mystics coach Syndey Johnson of the defeat. “But I couldn’t be prouder of how they acquitted themselves throughout that game.”
Washington bested Toronto in their first meeting on May 8, 68-65.
–Field Level Media
