Brittney Sykes, Marina Mabrey combine for 61 points, and the Tempo beat the Mercury 98-90

Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey led the Toronto Tempo to a thrilling 98-90 victory over the Phoenix Mercury. Sykes had an impressive performance with 31 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, while Mabrey added 30 points and six 3-pointers.

The Tempo took control of the game in the fourth quarter, going on a 12-4 run to build an 85-78 lead. Key baskets from Maria Conde and Kiki Rice extended Toronto’s lead to 93-86 with 2:32 remaining. Mabrey sealed the win with her sixth 3-pointer, making it 96-90 with 1:25 left on the clock.

Toronto’s sharpshooting from beyond the arc was a crucial factor in the victory, as they made a season-high 15 3-pointers compared to Phoenix’s 4 of 22 shooting from long range. Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas led the Mercury with 18 and 17 points respectively, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Tempo’s hot shooting.

In addition to Sykes and Mabrey’s stellar performances, Rice contributed 15 points and Laura Juskaite added 10 for Toronto. Sykes, coming off a career-high 38 points in their previous game, continued her strong play by shooting 10 of 19 from the field with four 3-pointers.

The game was closely contested throughout, with Mabrey hitting a clutch 3-pointer in the first half to give Toronto a narrow 45-44 lead. The Tempo now look ahead to a matchup against Minnesota to wrap up their four-game road trip, while Phoenix will face Los Angeles in their final game of a four-game homestand.

The victory for Toronto improves their record to 3-2, while Phoenix falls to 2-3 on the season. The WNBA action continues to heat up, and fans can stay updated on all the latest news and highlights at https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball.