The Toronto Tempo, the WNBA’s first expansion team ever outside the US, are officially wrapping up their inaugural season, and you know what? It’s been a *brutal* ride. Their head coach, Sandy Brondello, a legit two-time champion, just missed the playoffs for the very first time in her entire 14-year coaching career. Seriously, that’s a stat that hits different, right? Talk about a tough welcome to the league.
“Not Even Good?” Coach Brondello Drops the Hard Truth
Let’s be real, Brondello isn’t one to sugarcoat things. She straight up said it herself: the Tempo are “not great,” and honestly, “not even good.” Ouch. By the time Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever rolled into town last month, the Tempo were already on a soul-crushing double-digit losing skid. And get this: entering the FIBA World Cup break, they’d lost a staggering 16 of their last 17 games, completely plummeting out of postseason contention. You gotta feel for Brondello and General Manager Monica Wright Rogers. They started out talking about building a “high-performing roster” and a “world-class franchise” in the offseason. This just ain’t that, and it’s tough to watch an expansion team go through it.
A Season Marred by Insane Chaos and Injuries
It’s easy to just look at the record and throw your hands up, but if you dig a little deeper, you see *why* it was so tough. First off, collective bargaining negotiations bleeding into March completely squashed what should have been a four-month foundational offseason into about 11 brutal, overlapping days. Can you even imagine trying to build a brand-new team from absolute scratch with that kind of insane timeline? Then came the injuries. Oh man, the injuries. It was a constant, relentless wave that forced the team into using 22 different starting lineups through just 40 games. Seriously, every time one key player got cleared, another one went down. The on-court product just never had a real chance to reach its full potential, and Brondello admits it’s been “frustrating in that regard.” But credit to her, she’s focused on building from the foundation and setting those strong standards for the future.
The Clark Effect, The Future, and That Legacy Grind
Even with all the struggles, there were some seriously electric moments, you know? Remember that game on August 18, 2026, when Caitlin Clark and the Fever showed up? The buzz around ScotiaBank Arena was absolutely insane, the crowds were huge. Brondello totally embraced it, calling it a prime chance to turn local Clark fans into loyal Tempo fans. That’s smart, right? Clark, a three-time All-Star, World Cup winner, and Team USA gold medalist, brought that undeniable star power. Brondello’s goal for that night was simple: make it a good game so fans would leave wanting to come back for more. With only four games left in their inaugural season, including the Fever coming back to town on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ION, the Tempo’s gotta keep competing hard, assess everything they can, and just keep building every single aspect of their business. As President Teresa Resch put it, they’re all about diving toward two main goals: “to be Canada” and to build a lasting legacy. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, for this expansion squad, and you know they’re focused on that long game.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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