TORONTO (NET25) — After going winless in preseason play and falling to the Washington Mystics in their emotional season opener, the Toronto Tempo entered Wednesday night's game against the Seattle Storm searching for the first win in franchise history.

Toronto defeated Seattle 86-73 behind its All-Star backcourt of Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes, who combined for 44 points.

Entering the game, the biggest concerns surrounding Toronto were offensive consistency, interior size, and overall chemistry. Against Washington, Toronto shot only 27% from the field and were outscored by 40-16 in the paint. Against Seattle, Toronto looked far more comfortable offensively.

Toronto found its rhythm offensively, finishing the night shooting 43% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc, allowing the Tempo to stay in control for most of the game.

For the second straight game, Mabrey led Toronto in scoring with 26 points while shooting 6-for-11 from three, tying her career high for made threes in a game. Mabrey also made her impact defensively, recording four of Toronto’s 11 steals as the Tempo turned Seattle turnovers into 26 points.

Following the game, Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello praised Mabrey’s ability to stretch the floor and create offense.

“One of the best shooters in this league, so I'm very happy to have her here, and it kind of helps you when you've got that player that,” Brondello said. “Obviously, everyone has to guard all that way out, but you see that what she's capable of, to play at the dribble, feeling behind, she's got deep range, you know, when we're making shots like that, it just opens up a little bit inside.”

Another bright spot from Toronto’s win was rookie Kiki Rice, who was selected 6th overall by the Tempo in the 2026 draft. Rice scored her first WNBA points, finishing with 12 points off the bench while shooting an efficient 5-for-9 from the field.

Before coming to Toronto, Rice spent four years at UCLA, where she helped lead the Bruins to an NCAA Championship earlier this year.

Throughout her collegiate career, Rice showed steady development, earning Pac-12 All-Freshman honours before evolving into one of the most polished guards in the 2026 draft class. By her senior season, Rice was averaging a career-best 14.9 points per game while shooting 49% from the field and 38.5% from three-point range. It’s a level of maturity and composure that Brondello believes is already translating to the professional level.

“But she's a very mature player, and she knows who she is,” Brondello said. “But we want to continue to add that, so it was great to see her, you know, get on the scoreboard and be effective for us at both ends of the floor.”

Toronto now heads on a West Coast road trip with stops in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Minnesota. The Tempo will first face the Los Angeles Sparks, who have opened the season 0-2.

(NET25)