Toronto’s first WNBA game is no thing of beauty, but sellout crowd finds plenty to cheer
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $205*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Tempo didn’t treat fans to beautiful basketball in their inaugural game, but they managed to keep it close all the way to the final buzzer.
Shakira Austin made four free throws down the stretch and the Washington Mystics held on to beat the Tempo 68-65 on Friday night, disappointing a sellout crowd of 8,210 at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
“It was a great moment,” Tempo coach Sandy Brondello said. “Sad that we didn’t win the game, didn’t close it out, but the fans were fantastic. It was a very ugly game. Hopefully they get way prettier than that as we move forward.”
The Tempo shot 5 for 25 from long range and finished with 10 assists on 17 baskets.
“We were poor on offense,” Brondello said. “We didn’t share the ball, we didn’t play as a team as much as we would have liked.”
Brittney Sykes scored the first points in Tempo history on a pull-up jumper in the first quarter but went 0 for 5 from distance, missing a 3 with 14 seconds left that would have given Toronto the lead.
One of the loudest cheers came when Canadian soccer star Christine Sinclair was shown on the video screen.
Almost as loud was the reaction when Marina Mabrey’s 3-pointer with 4:19 remaining in the fourth put Toronto up 57-56, its first lead of the second half.
“To have them have our back, cheering for us every time we figure it out, it kind of helps us feel like we’re getting something going,” Mabrey said.
The Tempo finished with 16 turnovers.
“We’ve just got to execute a little bit better with how we want to play,” Brondello said.
The Tempo get another chance at their first win when they host the Seattle Storm on Wednesday night.
___
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball