Mabrey scores 26, Tempo pick up first-ever franchise win
TORONTO — Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey scored 26 points as the Tempo earned the first win in franchise history with an 86-73 victory over the Seattle Storm at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Mabrey dominated on both ends, finishing with 26 points, five rebounds, and four blocks while knocking down six three-pointers. Brittney Sykes added 18 points and eight rebounds, Maria Conde chipped in 16 points and eight boards off the bench, and rookie Kiki Rice scored 12 in a breakout performance.
Seattle got 21 points and seven rebounds from Dominique Malonga, while Jade Melbourne added 14 points and six assists. Stefanie Dolson finished with 16 points in the loss.
After Seattle trimmed the deficit to four midway through the fourth quarter, Mabrey buried a clutch three-pointer to stop the momentum. Moments later, she drilled her sixth triple of the night to push Toronto’s lead back to double digits with four minutes remaining.
The Tempo slammed the door defensively from there, holding Seattle to just 11 points in the final quarter.
Julie Allemand didn’t fill the stat sheet as a scorer, but she controlled the game with her defence and playmaking. The veteran guard posted a team-best plus-16 rating while adding six assists and three steals.
Rice wasted little time making an impact. The rookie scored her first regular-season points during a fast-paced opening quarter that saw Toronto grab a 27-22 lead.
Malonga answered early for Seattle, scoring nine first-quarter points and using her size to create problems inside throughout the half.
Rice stayed aggressive in the second quarter, attacking in transition and scoring on back-to-back possessions as she climbed to nine points in an expanded role.
Seattle answered with a late push before halftime.
After Toronto held the Storm scoreless for two minutes, Melbourne sparked a comeback attempt with an and-one finish in transition past Kia Nurse to cut the lead to one.
The Storm closed the half on a 7-0 run and carried a 45-44 advantage into the break behind Malonga’s 14 first-half points.
Toronto’s offence looked far sharper than it did in its season opener. After scoring just 65 points in game one, the Tempo already had 44 by halftime thanks to contributions from the bench.
Conde and Mabrey led the way with 10 first-half points, while Rice added nine and two rebounds.
The Tempo regained control in the third when Conde and Mabrey knocked down back-to-back threes during a 12-2 run.
Toronto stretched its lead to 65-56 as the pair continued to hit shots and force stops defensively.
Seattle refused to go away, however, with Malonga and Melbourne delivering timely baskets to keep the game within reach.
Still, the Tempo carried a 67-62 lead into the fourth after Conde and Mabrey each connected on four three-pointers through the first three quarters.
Rice added another milestone in the fourth, drilling the first three-pointer of her WNBA career at a crucial moment for Toronto.
Seattle entered the bonus early in the final frame, but Toronto’s defence never cracked and held the Storm to 11 fourth-quarter points.
The Tempo closed out the game with poise and big shots from Mabrey as they secured the first win in franchise history in front of the home crowd.
Toronto now heads west for its first road trip of the season, beginning Friday against the Los Angeles Sparks. Seattle continues its trip Sunday against the Indiana Fever.
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