Rachel: Kiki Rice drops twenty-eight points in a losing effort, Isabelle Harrison grabs ten boards, and half the roster is on the injured reserve. This is the Beatline Podcast Network, where we don’t just watch the game—we dissect it.
Dave: And I’m Dave, coming to you live from the studio. Rachel, that final score against Connecticut—ninety-five to eighty-one—feels like a summary of an entire season for Toronto.
Rachel: It does. But today isn’t just about the loss. It’s about the rankings. We are ranking the Toronto Tempo right now, looking at where they stand in the Eastern Conference Division, what their strengths actually are when healthy, and whether that core trio can carry them to twenty-two wins next year.
Dave: Twenty-two wins. That was the number floating around in the mailbag last week. We’re going to get into the math behind that, but first, let’s look at the reality of an eleven-and-thirty-three record.
Rachel: Before we dive into the tape, listeners, if you found value in our deep dives this week—if you learned something new about the Tempo’s spacing issues or their defensive rotations—please consider supporting the show. Just head to the link in the episode description to chip in. It keeps us free and daily. Now, back to the rankings.
Rachel: Let’s start with Segment One: The Standings. Eleven wins, thirty-three losses. Sixth place in the Eastern Conference Division. Dave, be honest. When you look at the divisional hierarchy, where does Toronto sit compared to teams that are fighting for playoff spots?
Dave: Well, Rachel, sixth place is technically still in contention for a play-in spot in some conferences, but in the WNBA landscape this year, the gap between sixth and eighth is massive. You have teams playing for pride, but Toronto has been playing for survival. The record doesn’t lie. They are outclassed.
Rachel: Outclassed is a strong word. But look at the context. They lost to the Chicago Sky ninety-seven to eighty-five on September twenty-second. Then they went up against the Connecticut Sun in their final game before moving to Houston. Ninety-five to eighty-one.
Dave: Right. And notice the narrative there. The Sun were celebrating their franchise’s final game in Connecticut. They had momentum. Toronto had a ten-player injury list. How do you compete for a higher standing when your available rotation is basically three people?
Rachel: Ten players out. Rayah Marshall, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Saniya Rivers, Brittney Griner, Kennedy Burke, Kamila Borkowska, Maria Gakdeng, Maria Conde, Temi Fagbenle, Marina Mabrey. All out. That’s not a bad day at the office; that’s a collapse.
Dave: Exactly. In terms of power rankings, Toronto falls because of availability. If they had twelve healthy bodies, maybe they’re competing harder in those pick-and-roll situations. But without depth, you can’t sustain defense. You can’t switch effectively. You just get worn down over forty minutes.
Rachel: So, where does that put them? Are they a bottom-tier team purely by talent, or is this an injury-driven anomaly?
Dave: It’s both. The talent gap is real. But the injuries exacerbated every weakness. When you lose rim protection from Griner and Nelson-Ododa, opponents attack the paint freely. Hailey Van Lith got nine rebounds and eight assists for Connecticut. She controlled the tempo because Toronto couldn’t box out or rebound.
Rachel: Van Lith was efficient. Ashlon Jackson led all scorers with eighteen. For Toronto, Kiki Rice was the lone bright spot with twenty-eight points. Isabelle Harrison added ten rebounds. Julie Allemand had five assists. But that’s it. The rest of the bench was empty.
Dave: Which brings us to Segment Two. Strengths and Question Marks. The strength is obvious: individual brilliance from Kiki Rice. She can create her own shot. She can pull up from mid-range. She can drive and kick.
Rachel: She carried the offense. But what about the question marks? What worries you most about the Tempo’s structure going forward?
Dave: Spacing. Without Griner stretching the floor as a stretch-five, or even as a traditional post presence who draws double teams, the lane clogs up. Rice drives, gets trapped, and turns it over. Or she takes a contested jumper. Shot selection becomes inefficient.
Rachel: And Julie Allemand? She’s the primary playmaker here. Five assists in that finale. Is she enough to run the offense alone?
Dave: Allemand is smart. She’s high-IQ. But she needs shooters. When the other teams know Rice and Harrison are your only reliable options, they sag off the perimeter. They pack the paint. Allemand sees it, tries to find the open man, and there isn’t one.
Rachel: That’s a tough offensive environment. Let’s talk about the roster cuts. We mentioned last week that aggressive cuts might help. Does trimming the dead weight allow Rice, Allemand, and Harrison to flourish more?
Dave: It could. Less ego, more defined roles. If the coaching staff can build a system around Rice’s creation and Harrison’s interior presence, they don’t need ten different players doing ten different things. They need specialists. A shooter here, a defender there.
Rachel: Specialists. That’s the key. So, strength is Rice’s scoring. Weakness is lack of spacing and depth. Question mark is whether Allemand can elevate the playmaking without support. Dave, this segues perfectly into Segment Three. The Outlook.
Dave: Let’s look at the projection. Twenty-two wins. That’s the target. Last season they finished eleven-and-thirty-three. To get to twenty-two, they need to add roughly eleven wins. Where do those come from?
Rachel: Health, primarily. If Griner and Nelson-Ododa return to form, the interior defense improves dramatically. Rebounding numbers should go up. Turnovers might go down because opponents aren’t fouling as much.
Dave: Agreed. But health isn’t guaranteed. And even if they are healthy, the Western Conference is brutal. Wait, Eastern Conference. Sorry. The Eastern Conference is competitive. The Liberty, the Lynx, the Dream—they are all stacking talent.
Rachel: The Liberty are the class of the league. Toronto isn’t close to them. But what about the middle tier? Teams like the Sky, who beat Toronto recently. Can Toronto beat those teams consistently?
Dave: If they fix the spacing, yes. Against Chicago, Jaquez and Taylor scored eighteen each. Cardoso had seventeen. Toronto didn’t have answers for their size. If Harrison and Griner are both back, they can match that physicality.
Rachel: So the projection holds? Twenty-two wins is realistic if the core trio stays intact and the injuries clear up?
Dave: I think it’s optimistic but possible. If they retain Rice, Allemand, and Harrison, and add two solid role players—a shooter and a wing defender—they become a .500 team. Twenty-two wins is slightly below .500, so yes, it’s achievable.
Rachel: Achievable. Not guaranteed. There’s a difference. The offseason moves will dictate everything. Draft picks, free agency, trades. Toronto has cap space, presumably, after clearing out some of those injured contracts.
Dave: Cap flexibility is huge. They can bring in veterans who want to win but haven’t found a spot elsewhere. Someone like a backup point guard who can relieve pressure on Allemand. Or a center who can play alongside Harrison.
Rachel: We’ve heard rumors about potential targets. But let’s stick to what we know. The core trio is locked in. Rice is young and improving. Allemand is steady. Harrison is experienced. That’s a foundation.
Dave: Foundation is the right word. You build on that. You don’t tear it down. You add bricks. Next season, the goal isn’t just twenty-two wins. It’s making the playoffs. But you have to start with the base.
Rachel: Making the playoffs requires winning more than half your games. That’s a big jump from eleven wins. But if they improve their efficiency, their turnover rate, and their rebounding margin, the math works.
Dave: Math works if they stay healthy. That’s the variable. Injury management will be the coach’s biggest challenge. Minutes restrictions, load management, rotating players carefully. You can’t burn out Rice again.
Rachel: Load management. Yes. We saw what happened when she played through fatigue. Her efficiency dropped in the fourth quarter. Tomorrow, we’ll see how the front office handles the roster construction. Back to you, Dave.
Dave: Let’s wrap this up with a final take. The Tempo’s story for 2027 isn’t about who they sign. It’s about who they keep. Rice, Allemand, Harrison. Keep them together. Build around them. Everything else is secondary.
Rachel: I agree. Stability is rare in the WNBA. Rosters change every year. If Toronto can offer stability to its stars, they attract better role players. It’s a virtuous cycle.
Dave: A virtuous cycle. Exactly. Right now, it’s a vicious cycle. Lose games, lose players, lose confidence. Break that cycle by keeping the core. That’s the prediction.
Rachel: Prediction: The Tempo retains Rice, Allemand, and Harrison as the permanent core. And secondly, they aim for twenty-two wins next season if health improves and roster cuts are executed aggressively.
Dave: Two predictions. Both grounded in the reality of their current assets. They don’t need to reinvent the wheel. They just need to grease the axles.
Rachel: Grease the axles. I love that. Listeners, that’s our show for today. We ranked the Tempo, analyzed their strengths and weaknesses, and projected their future. Thank you for listening.
Dave: If you enjoyed this breakdown, please subscribe, rate, and review us on your favorite podcast app. It helps more fans find the network.
Rachel: Share this episode with a friend who loves basketball stats. We’ll see you tomorrow with another update. Go Tempo!