Marina Mabrey, Kiki Rice lead Tempo to win over Storm


Marina Mabrey scored 18 points, while Kiki Rice added 17 points as the Toronto Tempo defeated the Seattle Storm 93-72 on Saturday at Coca-Cola Coliseum.

It was the Tempo’s second win against the Storm (3-6). Toronto (5-4) earned its first franchise win against the Storm on May 13.

Rice had six rebounds and an assist, while Mabrey had three boards and four assists. 

Brittney Sykes scored 15 points for the Tempo and went 7-for-7 from the free-throw line, while forward Laura Juskaite contributed 14 points and five rebounds.

Natisha Hiedeman led the Storm with 18 points and went 3-for-8 from the three-point line, while Jordan Horston scored 15 points.

Tempo guard Julie Allemand returned from injury after missing the last five games with a groin strain. 

Toronto was still without centre Temi Fagbenle (right shoulder sprain) and forward Isabelle Harrison (right thumb dislocation).

Storm: Down 21-13 after the first quarter, the Storm took advantage of a sloppy second from Toronto and outscored the Tempo 23-16 to cut the deficit down to one point several times, and trailed by one at the half. The game remained close until the Tempo pulled away late in the third quarter.

Tempo: Even with Allemand back from injury, Tempo rookie Rice remained in the Tempo’s starting lineup and continued to look poised in her first season. Rice, the Tempo’s sixth-overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, played 27 minutes 58 seconds in the win.

The score was knotted 51-51 with 3:22 left in the third quarter when Mabrey stole the ball and dished it to Rice for a layup. Momentum shifted to the Tempo, who finished the quarter on a 19-5 run.

The Tempo were perfect from the free-throw line at 31-for-31 until the last minute of the game, when forward Teonni Key missed her two shots from the foul line.

Storm: Visit the Dallas Wings on Monday.

Tempo: Visit the New York Liberty on Wednesday.



Source link

By admin

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *