TORONTO — Kia Nurse wasn’t supposed to be in the starting lineup for the Tempo’s first game in Toronto’s biggest basketball stadium.
But when Marina Mabrey became a last-minute scratch due to a neck issue, the Tempo’s Canadian star stepped into the starting role.
Nurse, with all 15,687 fans in Scotiabank Area on their feet and awaiting the first basket, pulled up to her favourite range, the three-point line, and put the first points on the board.
For the sole Canadian Tempo to have that moment on Toronto’s biggest court, it felt poetic.
“She’s done well for us these last few games, and you know, she made the opening basket as well, too. So, I think it was a logical decision,” head coach Sandy Brondello said of the decision to call on Nurse to step up.
But even with the strong start the Canadian helped produce, the Tempo couldn’t recover from the last-minute scratch of their best available player. An already depleted guard group struggled to make shots down the stretch, and even though the score stayed close through 35 minutes, the Phoenix Mercury pulled away and handed the hosts their first loss at Scotiabank Arena, 89-90.
Still, the atmosphere was special as the Tempo played in front of the most home fans they’ve seen yet. Starting point guard Julie Allemand, though upset after the game, acknowledged the unique environment.
“Obviously, like we wanted to win that game. It was a big moment for us, for everybody here, for Canada. So, yeah, we wanted to win, but we couldn’t. But the atmosphere was nice,” she said as she cracked a smile for the first time all press conference. “It was really, really great to play out there. Like, it was just different. It looks bigger, so you know, you want to play when it’s a big gym like that.”
The gym was special for many reasons, with one being the new court design featured. The Tempo unveiled the cross-Canada court they’ll be using for the games at Scotiabank Arena, the Bell Centre, and Rogers Arena. It features a darkened wood maple leaf that stretches across centre court and reaches both three-point lines.
Before her unexpected start, Nurse looked back at the memories she’s had in the space.
“It’s always special to be able to be in this building. I’ve watched and worked a lot of Toronto Raptors games here, and so to be on the court is a little bit different, but I’m excited about it. I love playing in a big arena,” she said.
“I think it’s great for us to be able to show the interest in the love for women’s basketball, especially in this building.”
It was indeed a celebration of women’s basketball in Canada, but with the loss, that was all the fans had to celebrate.
A hard fall after Thursday’s historic night, Brondello chalked the loss up to shot-making and fatigue.
“They made shots, and we didn’t. Sometimes that’s how it is,” she said. “You know they have a lot of weapons with their scoring and their ability to get downhill with certain players.”
16-year veteran DeWanna Bonner had a big shot in the final minutes to put the Mercury up by six, and Brondello saw it as the decisive play.
With Alyssa Thomas out serving a one-game suspension for a flagrant foul 2 to Caitlin Clark, Kahleah Copper created most of the offence and finished with 27 points.
However, Allemand was critical in keeping the game close for the Tempo. She set the pace and set up her teammates. It was her second consecutive game with double-digit assists. She finished with 11 points on top of 10 assists and seven rebounds, making her the first Tempo player to have consecutive double-double games.
“She does an amazing job, you know, having another double-double, 11 assists, she’s playing defence as well. She’s the ultimate competitor, and you know, she gave everything she could tonight, that’s all you can expect from when we’re down,” Brondello said of Allemand, who played 38:34 of 40 minutes, the most she has all season.
With the injuries to their guard group, the Tempo had to adjust to a new style of play and showed that even when you don’t have the luxury of a single player dropping 53 points, generous passing and hard rebounding can make a difference.
Tema Pouye, a rookie from France who was acquired one month ago, had a breakout game as she stepped up into a larger guard role with Mabrey, Brittney Sykes and Kiki Rice all out. She more than doubled her previous season-high of six points with 13 points.
Six of the eight players who clocked minutes scored in the double digits, marking a type of scoring by committee not yet seen by this expansion squad.
The Tempo are now 9-10 on the season. They return to Scotiabank Arena on July 30 to face the Minnesota Lynx and then again on August 18 to play the Indiana Fever.