With the opening game of the WNBA season only a few weeks away, the Toronto Tempo are prepping for their inaugural season at the team’s temporary practice facility on the University of Toronto campus.
The mood is upbeat. There is an air of excitement in the gym that only comes from building something from the ground up. And, it looks like the city is just as excited with ticket sales at a blistering pace.
The team is a mix of veteran players signed via free agency or the recent expansion draft sprinkled with a few draft selections including first-ever pick Kiki Rice, fresh off an NCAA national championship.
Sykes, a.k.a. Slim, has had a standout WNBA career and is an elite two-way player, earning multiple WNBA All-Defensive Team honours, two steals titles, and her first All-Star selection in 2025. Sykes has also excelled overseas, winning Defensive Player of the Year in Australia’s WNBL, and captured a championship in the Unrivaled 3-on-3 league.
Sykes is hyped to hit the hard court in a sports-loving city like Toronto.
“Honestly, I expect to wear the like ear thing, because you guys are tremendous at cheering,” Sykes says. “It’s really cool to have experienced that. I didn’t know you have like every single sport here. So for us to join the party, I’m like, that’s great.”
Sykes is one of the veterans that will be charged with helping Rice reach her full potential as a professional basketball player — although, as Sykes confirms, she already looked well on her way during practice.
“For her, it’s just letting her feel it out. You know, she has a good sense of the game, and she’s very receptive. And the things that we give her, she’s easily taking that information and translating out to the court,” Sykes explains. “I think she was the only rookie year like with me, Marina (Mabrey), Teonni (Key) and Temi (Fagbenle), you know. Like for her to be on her own on the court with a whole bunch of vets, that speaks volumes.”
And, it’s not just Rice. Everyone on this roster from top to bottom needs to learn new routines, and an entirely new set of teammates. Part of the fun, says Sykes, and part of the challenge.
But, given the fun on the court, and the commitment to playing at a high level, things are looking good.
“It’s all new for us. You know, in a free agency or you go to a team, you have players who have already been there, they’re established, they have a routine,” she says. “Here, literally from top to bottom, we are all trying to figure out what the day-to-day looks like. I can’t even tell you that yesterday was the same as today, because it’s not, you know, but, that’s the beauty of it. It’s from scratch.”
Sykes was one player on the top of a list of players the Toronto Tempo eyed to add a veteran base to the team, alongside the likes of Marina Mabrey and newly signed free agent from Hamilton, Kia Nurse.
They will carry a heavy load establishing the team identity, mentoring younger players, and, you know, scoring most of the points.
“They made it very like prevalent that they wanted me to come here,” she says. “They wanted me and Marina to leaders and obviously get up and down the court and score and do all the great things that we do. But also our characters and what we bring to the games and our passion.”
And, Sykes certainly showed how easily she can control a game, even if it was in practice.
What is a priority to her is to knock out the bad habits early and build by setting a high bar. The Tempo are coming into the league following the recent success of another expansion team, the Golden State Valkyries. A team that made the playoffs in its first season.
“Just because it’s our first year doesn’t mean we have look like a first-year team,” she says. “The Valkyries came in, they did an amazing job. I loved it. We can do that too. It’s possible.”
So get ready Toronto, the Tempo isn’t looking to just “develop” in its first year. This won’t be a championship run, but it will be exciting.
