Toronto Tempo players are packing their bags for the off-season while the front office turns its attention to next year, and the priorities are clear: better defence, more paint presence and a healthier team.
General manager Monica Wright Rogers spoke exclusively to the Star this past week about their inaugural WNBA season and what comes next.
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what → pack → season
On Saturday, the GM and head coach Sandy Brondello were aligned in their season-end media availability.
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GM → align → availability
“We were last in the league defensively in terms of statistics and efficiency wise, net rating was last in the league, so … we need to improve in that area,” Wright Rogers said.
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Rogers → need → area
The Tempo have building blocks, with most of the roster expected to return, and will add more young talent in the draft.
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most → have → draft
After an 11-33 finish, they are tied for the best odds of winning the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery.
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they → tie → lottery
Here’s a sample of some of the other talking points Saturday:
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sample → ’ → points
That’s life in the big city
The Tempo say Toronto has made strides as a free-agent destination.
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Toronto → ’ → destination
“I’ve heard (of) so many people visiting Toronto,” said Brondello, who coached in New York before joining the expansion Tempo.
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who → hear → Tempo
“They actually loved it, and that’s a part of it, isn’t it?
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it → love → it
At least free agents want to go somewhere where they can enjoy the city as well, and this is a big city, it’s a big market.”
Season one in the city was an eye-opener for Tempo guard Brittney Sykes.
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Season → want → Sykes
“Y’all don’t go to sleep.
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Y’all → go → sleep
I never knew that fire trucks and police sirens can go off at two o’clock in the morning,” she joked.
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she → know → morning
“I only know that because we come back late at night flying in from games and I’m trying to go to sleep and there goes a siren …
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I → know → siren
I only thought that happened in New York City, but it happens here, too.”
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it → think → City
All-star guard Marina Mabrey‘s ordeal with Rogers over Wi-Fi (now resolved) made headlines during the season.
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ordeal → resolve → season
On Saturday, she shared another cautionary tale.
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she → share → tale
“It’s probably almost getting hit by those trains, that was crazy.
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that → hit → trains
I need to look both ways.
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I → need → ?
I, like, never know which way they’re coming ...
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they → know → ?
I played in L.A., so the traffic is bad, but ... sometimes maybe the driving in Canada is a little sus.”
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driving → play → Canada
Rookie forward Teonni Key called the city’s traffic “horrible” and “bizarre.”
What’s next for Rice?
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What → call → Rice
After leading UCLA to an NCAA championship, point guard Kiki Rice made a strong impression: fourth among WNBA rookies in points per game (13.4) and third in rebounds (3.7).
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Rice → lead → rebounds
“She’s a quick learner, she’s tough, she doesn’t take possessions off, and I think the next evolution for her is to continue to shoot the three more,” Brondello said.
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Brondello → ’ → three
In the off-season, Rice plans to play in Unrivaled, a professional three-on-three league, and train with Mabrey.
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Rice → plan → Mabrey
Lithuanian forward Laura Juškaite arrived in April unsure if she’d make the roster.
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she → arrive → roster
Juškaite was the only Tempo player to see action in all 44 games, starting 36 while averaging 11.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals.
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Juškaite → see → points
“It’s hard to come into the league first year, even if I’m 28 years old,” she said.
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she → ’ → league
”(There were) ups and downs, but I was healthy, I played and I really got a lot of experience that I will use in the future.”
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I → be → future
Juškaite, unsigned for next year, will play for Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahçe in the off-season.
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Juškaite → play → season
Wright Rogers sees the WNBA continuing to tap further into markets around the world, similar to the NBA playbook.
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WNBA → see → playbook
“As much as it is a priority to have Canadians on our roster and in this organization, it’s always (going to) be a priority to have internationals,” the GM said.
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GM → have → internationals
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