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Brittney Sykes delivered a career-best 38 points, with rookie Kiki Rice contributing 19 in her first start, as the Toronto Tempo cruised to a 106-96 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday.
Marina Mabrey added 14 points and Kia Nurse chipped in 10 as the Tempo secured their first-ever road win, improving to 2-2 on the season. Toronto was nearly flawless at the free-throw line, hitting 39 of 42 attempts, including a perfect 15-for-15 from Sykes. Her previous scoring high was 35 points, set in 2022 when she played for Los Angeles.
For the Sparks, Kelsey Plum led with 28 points, Dearica Hamby had 21, Nneka Ogwumike scored 17, and Kate Martin added 11. The Sparks made 23 of 30 free throws, but the game was marked by a total of 59 fouls called.
Friday night’s matchup saw Sykes put up 27 points and Rice score 11 off the bench, but the Tempo fell 99-95 to the Sparks. This time, rather than falling behind early as they did in that game’s 19-2 run, Toronto broke away from an 18-18 tie and maintained control, often holding a double-digit lead.
Toronto finished the first quarter with a 9-3 run to lead 27-21 and was ahead 49-40 at halftime. Cori Close, who coached UCLA to its first NCAA championship last month, was courtside capturing video of Rice, her former player.
The Tempo now continue their four-game road trip in Phoenix on Tuesday, while the Sparks begin their own four-game road swing in Phoenix on Thursday.
