The Toronto Tempo is already capturing the imagination of the entire WNBA community. Toronto made the bold decision to appoint a championship-winning head coach in Sandy Brondello and acquire established players in the league, rather than slowly building a young roster that could challenge further down the line. The Tempo wants success now. With expectation comes pressure, but that is not fazing their new offensive talisman, Brittney Sykes.
Being in the front office of an expansion franchise cannot be easy. Constructing a roster from scratch and defining a culture, whilst trying to build a fan base to build revenues. It is a thankless task with little margin for error. With no other WNBA team in the Canadian market, the Tempo had a chance to build unstoppable momentum and make an immediate impact in the league. By acquiring Sykes, Marina Mabrey, and Temi Fagbenle, Toronto has signalled that they are not here to play nice.
A 3-2 record may not scream title contender just yet, but the Toronto Tempo is quickly becoming one of the league’s most intriguing teams as its winning mentality continues to take shape. With a litany of exciting players scattered across the roster, it is 32-year-old Brittney Sykes who is feeding off the ambitious energy the franchise is providing and performing at an All-Star level.
Brittney Sykes is heating up in Toronto
Age is just a number, and Sykes is proving that with devastating effect. Sykes is far from the oldest player in the league, but is arguably in the twilight of her career. Nevertheless, her recent performances have shown that her energy levels resemble those of an excitable rookie with a chip on its shoulder.
Early success for the Toronto Tempo does not necessarily equate to winning the championship -- a deep postseason run would be more than acceptable. The manner in which Sykes has started the season would suggest that this team is more than capable of making that dream a reality. The dynamic guard is averaging 25.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.2 steals per game to display her two-way effectiveness.
Offensively, Sykes has been truly sublime -- scoring 25+ points in her last three appearances and recording a career-high 38 points in Toronto's 106-96 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks. She then backed up this outrageous performance with 31 points, six assists and zero turnovers during the Tempo's most recent 98-90 triumph over the Phoenix Mercury.
The question now is whether this scintillating scoring stretch can truly be sustained over the course of a full season. Realistically, probably not -- but that is far from an indictment of Brittney Sykes. A long WNBA season inevitably comes with peaks, valleys and unexpected twists along the way.
Fortunately for Toronto, the franchise’s vision does not rest solely on Sykes’ production. Marina Mabrey continues to provide offensive versatility, while the emergence of Kiki Rice shows that the front office has foreseen any potential issues that could hinder their pursuit of excellence. This is a roster filled with offensive weapons and growing belief.
As an expansion franchise, the Toronto Tempo have no right to make a deep playoff run. This season should be a year of building sturdy foundations and establishing a culture. However, this franchise has more ambitious plans. They want success, and they want it now. Brittney Sykes has bought into what the Tempo are selling, and is now performing at a level that matches the vision the team has set out.
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