What Toronto Tempo players said about playing in Vancouver
Perhaps it was the tonic that Toronto Tempo players needed.
The Tempo came to Vancouver this week having lost 12 straight games, seeing their playoff hopes dashed in the process.
However, in front of 12,414 fans at Rogers Arena on Thursday night, the Tempo put on a show.
Caitlyn MacDonald/Daily Hive
Toronto went back and forth against their expansion cousin, the Portland Fire, before emerging with an 82-79 win on Friday night.
“Those are the best moments throughout the game,” Tempo rookie Kiki Rice said when asked about the crowd noise after an important basket mid-game.
“You just feed off the energy, feed off of each other, and it just made it a really fun environment to play in.”
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— Toronto Tempo (@TempoBasketball) August 22, 2026
Ironically, it was the Tempo’s first victory since playing at the Bell Centre in Montreal back in July.
During the first of two games in Montreal last month, over 20,000 fans packed the Bell Centre for the Tempo’s first game in the city. Even though Vancouver couldn’t match that, the Tempo have still been feeling love from across the country.
“When we made big plays. It was hard for me even to talk in some of the timeouts there,” head coach Sandy Brondello said.
“I’m just happy the fans got to see us play. We are Canada’s team.”
“We have one of the best fan bases, if not the best in the league, and it’s only year one,” Rice added. “It’s been really cool to just feel all the support across the entire country.”
Much like the Toronto Raptors and Blue Jays, the Tempo are tapping into the Canada’s team mantra.
“It’s great to go out and show everybody like, ‘hey, this is basketball for Canada now,'” Brittney Sykes said before the contest. “This is the mark, this is the mold, and we’re gonna keep pushing it.”
The WNBA vet also expressed how grateful she is to play in Canada.
“It’s crazy how nice y’all could be,” Sykes told TSN reporter Raegan Subban. “Like, dang, [Canadians] are nice!”
“With the States, they have their fandom. But here, it’s a different level.”
A couple of Vancouver’s most recognizable athletes were also in the house for the Tempo’s Rogers Arena debut.
Daniel Sedin sat courtside with his family for the festivities.
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Vancouver Goldeneyes star Sarah Nurse was also in the building. Her cousin, Kia Nurse, plays for the Tempo.
“There’s such an appetite for the WNBA and women’s professional basketball,” Nurse told TSN’s Subban during the broadcast.
“To be here has been so exciting, and I love me some Tempo.”
Toronto will play another game at Rogers Arena this weekend, taking on the defending champion Las Vegas Aces Sunday, Aug. 23 at 4 p.m. PDT.