Tempo fans show love despite ugly home finale loss to Liberty

The Toronto Tempo failed to finish the home portion of their debut season in a positive manner, but the unwavering fan support was evident until the end.

Toronto was thrashed 106-69 by the New York Liberty before a sellout gathering of 8,210 at Coca-Cola Coliseum as the expansion Tempo (11-31) dropped their sixth straight game and 18th of their last 19.

“It’s kind of mixed feelings because the way we played is not the way this team is built, and not the face we want to show,” said Tempo rookie forward Laura Juskaite, who scored a career-high 28 points and suffered a cut above her upper lip in the process.

“Our fans cheered for us no matter what. And it’s been like that since Day 1, so I really appreciate their support. But we need to play tougher, and no matter what, maybe the last few games don’t mean anything, but we are building something more. It’s a long-term thing, and we should be better.”

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Despite the lopsided outcome, the fans continued to support the Tempo up to the final buzzer of the home finale. There was a tribute video of the first season shown on the scoreboard during a timeout with 2:57 remaining on the clock. The fans stood up and gave the home side a rousing ovation.

Again, with 30 seconds left, more applause. Finally, after the final buzzer had sounded, veteran Brittney Sykes grabbed the courtside microphone and thanked the crowd for its support.

The place went nuts.

“There were only a few games where I was a little disappointed with our effort,” Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello said. “This is one of them, in the second half. But overall, I think their resiliency, their togetherness, has been commendable, and that’s all you can ask for in a season with so much adversity.

“There are some things that we can be really excited about as we move forward into 2027.”

The Tempo jumped out to a swift 7-5 start this season, but injuries to key players like Sykes (left foot) and sharp-shooting guard Marina Mabrey (right adductor) immensely hurt the cause. Mabrey sits fifth in WNBA scoring with 20.8 points per game.

But the mounting losses did not dampen the spirit of the new fan base. The Tempo finished with an average home crowd of 10,828, consistently selling out Coca-Cola Coliseum and drawing big numbers elsewhere.

Toronto played two games in Montreal, with the first game at the Bell Centre attracting a WNBA regular-season record of 20,996.

The Tempo also performed three times at Scotiabank Arena before crowds of 15,687, 18,145 and 19,300 to watch Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. The second attendance total in Montreal was 12,724, and the two outings in Vancouver attracted gatherings of 12,414 and 15,877.

Only time will tell if the novelty of the WNBA in Canada wears off if the losses continue to pile up for the Tempo.

Certainly, health is important. But so will be the continued development of rookies like Juskaite and Kiki Rice, who scored 19 points against the Liberty. The 28-year-old Juskaite, of Lithuania, is the only Tempo player to play in all 42 games.

“They’re the kind of players you want to build around, don’t you?” Brondello said. “Because they take pride in being the best that they could be.”

The Tempo conclude their inaugural season with road games against the Chicago Sky on Tuesday and the Connecticut Sun on Thursday.