Tempo secure first road victory as Sykes sets career-high in win over Sparks

The Toronto Tempo claimed their first road victory of the WNBA season on Sunday, defeating the Los Angeles Sparks 106-96 in Los Angeles. The win improves Toronto’s record to 2-2, while the Sparks fall to 1-3 following a 99-95 loss to the same opponent on Friday night.

Brittney Sykes led the Tempo with a career-high 38 points, shooting 15 for 15 from the free-throw line. This performance surpasses her previous best of 35 points, set in 2022 while playing for Los Angeles. Sykes was supported by rookie Kiki Rice, who scored 19 points in her first career start. Marina Mabrey contributed 14 points and Kia Nurse added 10 to complete the scoring for Toronto.

The Tempo improved their free-throw accuracy significantly from their previous meeting, shooting 39 of 42 from the line compared to the Sparks’ 23 of 30. The game saw 59 fouls called in total. Toronto broke an early 18-18 tie to take control, leading by a double-digit margin for much of the contest after closing the first quarter with a 9-3 run.

For the Sparks, Kelsey Plum scored 28 points, with Dearica Hamba adding 21, Nneka Ogwumike 17, and Late Martin 11. The loss follows a frustrating start to the season for Los Angeles, who have struggled to maintain consistency after their victory on Friday.

Rice, selected sixth overall by the expansion Toronto Tempo after starring at UCLA, drew attention from courtside as her former coach Cori Close watched the game. Close recently coached UCLA to its first NCAA title. Toronto continues its four-game road trip against Phoenix on Tuesday, while the Sparks travel to Phoenix on Thursday to begin their own four-game road trip.