Toronto Tempo lose inaugural WNBA regular-season game 68-65 to Mystics

sportsMay 9, 202624269

The expansion Toronto Tempo lost their inaugural WNBA regular-season game 68-65 to the Washington Mystics in Toronto. Shakira Austin sank two late free throws with 17 seconds remaining to put Washington ahead. Toronto trailed 37-30 at halftime, mounted a late comeback but could not close the gap. The game marked the WNBA's first regular-season appearance in Canada and leaves the new Tempo with immediate roster and strategy questions as the season begins.

Toronto Blue Jays

@bluejaysbot.bsky.social

Turn up the Tempo 🗣️ Good luck to the Toronto Tempo as they begin their inaugural WNBA season 🇨🇦

3549d ago

My IRL friends call me Chris

@christyceeck.bsky.social

Tonight is a big night. For young women. For Toronto. For basketball in Canada. This is Game 1 in the inaugural season of Canada's WNBA team. @brucearthur.bsky.social has captured the spirit -- & the feelings -- of what this all means. #GiftLink 🎁 #WeTheNorth 🏀 www.thestar.com/gift-redeem?...

When she speaks about the Tempo, Resch’s voice stays strong but wavers at times; it sounds like the tremor of someone who is almost, but not quite, overwhelmed by happy emotion while giving a speech at a wedding. The Tempo are inheriting all the work of growing women’s basketball, all the journeys of everyone involved, and they are building something new on top of it; for many it will be a dream that can’t come soon enough. After all, they’ve been waiting for it their entire lives.

2549d ago

Velodus✨

@velodus.bsky.social

What I like about the Toronto Tempo court is that it kind of looks like an NBA Cup court if it was dialed down by 50% (positive)

3049d ago

Shameka 🏀

@shameka23.bsky.social

We are almost there. The wait is almost over! #WNBA

Graphic showing the WNBA Tip-Off ’26 national game schedule presented by CarMax on a bright orange background.

Friday, May 8:

* Connecticut Sun vs New York Liberty at 7:30 PM ET on ion
* Washington Mystics vs Toronto Tempo at 7:30 PM ET on ion
* Golden State Valkyries vs Seattle Storm at 10:00 PM ET on ion

Saturday, May 9:

* Dallas Wings vs Indiana Fever at 1:00 PM ET on ABC
* Phoenix Mercury vs Las Vegas Aces at 3:30 PM ET on ABC
* Chicago Sky vs Portland Fire at 9:00 PM ET on NBA TV

Sunday, May 10:

* Las Vegas Aces vs Los Angeles Sparks at 6:00 PM ET on USA Network

Text at the bottom reads: “Game times subject to change. Local blackouts may apply.”

1949d ago

Jenn Hatfield

@jennhatfield.bsky.social

Final: The Washington Mystics hang on for their first win of the season, beating the Toronto Tempo 68-65. Sonia Citron had a team-high 26 points, Shakira Austin hit 4 huge free throws, and Kiki Iriafen had a career-high 16 rebounds and a critical tie-up late. @theixsports.bsky.social #WNBA

2149d ago

The IX Sports

@theixsports.bsky.social

Our Toronto Tempo beat writer, Sarah Maat, reports live from outside Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, where commissioner Cathy Engelbert spoke to the media before the Tempo's debut regular season game.

1449d ago

Andy Tulin (Subscribe to The Post Presence version)

@andytulin.net

Bizarre as it is, Toronto undoubtedly has the more established roster than its visitor tonight, the Washington Mystics, who are about as young of a #WNBA team as you’re ever going to see. The only millennial on the roster is a 32-year old rookie!

it'll also be historic, as the Toronto Tempo host the franchise's inaugural game against Washington Mystics (7:30 ET, ION/League Pass/local). Despite being an expansion team, the Tempo undoubtedly bring the more established roster into opening night, headlined by veteran guards Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes, each of whom signed a seven-figure contract for this year and next. It'll be a revenge game for the 32-year old Sykes, who spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons in Washington and earned the first All-Star appearance of her career last July just a few weeks before being traded away. A two-time league-leader in steals, Slim averaged 15.4 points and 4.4 assists per game during the Mystics portion of her 2025 season. Mabrey, who will turn 30 later this season, endured a tough 2025 season in the WNBA, playing a good portion of it at less than 100% for a miserable Connecticut Sun team, but she was the leading scorer in Unrivaled this winter, averaging 25.3 points per game.

1050d ago

BarDown

@bardown.bsky.social

Maple Leafs 🤝 Tempo Chris Tanev and Steven Lorentz are in attendance for the Toronto Tempo’s inaugural regular season game! #WNBA

1549d ago

Along Came Poly-4-The-W

@alongcamepoly4thew.bsky.social

some real HOOP battles begin today but I'VE got so much joy welcoming Toronto Tempo to the #wnba fam... that inaugural feeling when your time FINALLY come PLEASE I BEG YOU 🥰🤌🏀💕SAVOR THAT #WELCOMETOTHEW #TORONTOTEMPO

1450d ago

Toronto Star

@thestar.com

Toronto Tempo fall to Washington Mystics in WNBA regular-season debut www.thestar.com/sports/tempo...

749d ago

Shouting Thomas

@postbrechtian.bsky.social

Going to try to post about the Toronto Tempo on noted sports app BlueSky. Mute as desired

949d ago

JM =^)

@jm539581.bsky.social

Toronto Tempo's first tip-off.... Washington's Cassandre Prosper gets the first bucket

1049d ago

Now Toronto

@nowtoronto.bsky.social

Toronto Tempo might have lost their first game, but that didn’t stop the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) fans from coming out in droves. 🏀 #TorontoTempo #CocaColaColiseum #Basketball Read more at nowtoronto.com/culture/im-r...

749d ago

Jenifer Lewis’ Afro

@msjlaw.blacksky.app

Tempo takes the ball up and loses it. Jump ball with 2.4 left. Mystics up 3. Jump Violation x Tempo so Mystics ball. Kiki gets the ball and Mystics defeat the new expansion team Toronto Tempo 68-65. Good opening game for #TheW

449d ago

Briana

@bri-elyse1.bsky.social

Im adding "Go to a game in Toronto" to my list. The Tempo crowd sounds like they're having a good time in their inaugural season 🥹 #WNBA

949d ago

2 sources

thestar.comAustin’s free throws lifts Mystics past Tempo 68-65 in Toronto’s regular-season debut toronto.citynews.caToronto Tempo come up short in historic WNBA season opener

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Toronto Tempo lose inaugural WNBA regular-season game 68-65 to Mystics

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