Sykes shows her value in return to Tempo lineup

It seems like Brittney Sykes should have worked on her negotiating skills during a two-month stint on the Toronto Tempo’s injured list.

Sykes had 15 points and five assists in 21 minutes of play in Toronto’s 101-95 loss to the Indiana Fever on Tuesday. It was her first game back in the Tempo’s lineup after she suffered a left plantar fascia injury in a June 16 game against the Fever and she tried to get more time on the court from head coach Sandy Brondello.

“I haggled for some more minutes, being added to the back,” joked Sykes at Toronto’s post-game news conference.

Cathal Kelly: Will uncomplimentary coverage of the WNBA cost you your seat in the Toronto Tempo’s press box?

“I would have loved to have added them on,” interjected Brondello.

“I was just really grateful just to be back out there with my team, sharing the ball with them, watching them work,” said Sykes, who has averaged 20.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals this season.

“On the court, it’s a different feel when you have that energy together, and we’re going on runs, and we’re getting stops.”

Sykes missed 18 games while she recovered from the foot injury.

Toronto (10-24) played itself out of the WNBA’s post-season picture, losing 10 consecutive games without Sykes and then adding an 11th straight loss on Tuesday.

The Tempo have scored 87.9 points per game this season, eighth best in the 15-team WNBA, but have allowed a league-worst 94.3 points per game.

“We’re just happy to have her back,” said Brondello before tipoff against Indiana. “She’s been a huge loss for us, at both ends of the floor, but especially defensively when we’ve been struggling.

“She’s someone that can obviously rise to the occasion and stop anyone on any given night.”

Brondello said before the game that Sykes was on a minutes restriction and stuck to it on Tuesday. It was a necessity as Sykes gets back up to game speed and because Toronto has four games in six nights.

The Tempo visit the Washington Mystics on Wednesday, then will fly to Vancouver to host the Portland Fire on Friday and the Las Vegas on Sunday with both games at Rogers Arena.

Although Vancouver doesn’t have a WNBA franchise, Sykes actually has experience playing there.

She was on the Seattle Storm last season when her squad beat the Atlanta Dream 80-78 on Aug. 15, 2025, in the first regular-season game played outside the United States.

“I can’t wait for [my teammates] to experience Vancouver fans. That gym was electric, and we were the ‘away team,’ and I think we turned them into our fans on the back end,” said Sykes. “They’re just as great as on this side of Canada, man. It’s beautiful over there.

“Hopefully, it’s not raining like last time. But outside of that, it’s great food, great atmosphere, great people. I just hope my teammates enjoy it like we always do whenever we go across Canada.”