Rachel: That was a brutal ending. Ninety-five to eighty-one. Ten players out. Ashlon Jackson dropping eighteen on the final possession in Hartford before the franchise moves west. If you missed that heartbreak, or if you’re just trying to figure out how we get from this empty locker room to a playoff contender next year, you are in the right place.
Dave: It is what it is, Rachel. We talked about the injury toll for weeks. Seeing it manifest in a nine-game losing streak against a conference rival is tough, but it sets the stage for exactly what we need to discuss today. The roster is decimated, but the core remains.
Rachel: Welcome to the Beatline Podcast Network! I’m Rachel, and this is the Toronto Tempo Daily Show. I’m joined by Dave, who has been tracking every single rotation and substitution since training camp. Today is a mailbag episode, so we are diving straight into your questions. Coming up: Is Kiki Rice enough to carry this offense? What does the draft lottery actually mean for our depth chart? And can we survive without Brittney Griner’s rim protection?
Dave: We’ve got a lot of ground to cover. From the relocation of the Sun to Houston to the projected top pick in the 2027 draft, we’re answering it all. But first, a quick note. If you love the deep dives we do here, help us keep the research tight and the edits sharp. A small contribution keeps the feed running daily. Check the link in the episode description.
Rachel: Let’s get into it. First question comes from Sarah in Mississauga. She asks: 'With ten players listed as Out for the finale, how do we evaluate Kiki Rice’s performance when she had twenty-eight points?' It’s a fair point. Was that efficiency real, or just volume over garbage time?
Dave: Sarah raises a critical tactical issue. When you look at the box score, Kiki Rice with twenty-eight points looks great. But context matters. Julie Allemand had five assists, Isabelle Harrison pulled down ten rebounds. They were playing against a Connecticut team that was already moving on. Rice was taking shots because there was no defensive pressure to speak of. It’s not an indictment of her scoring ability, but it’s not a clean sample size either.
Rachel: So, is it inflated? Because last week we said the offensive brilliance was undeniable. Now you’re saying it might be meaningless?
Dave: I’m saying it’s isolated brilliance. Without switching defenses or rim protection, Rice had space to operate. That’s good news for next season if they keep that spacing, but bad news if they expect to replicate that against a healthy Sun defense. You don’t get twenty-eight points easily in the WNBA unless someone else is collapsing.
Rachel: Okay, next question. This one is from @TempoFan88. He wants to know about the standings. We are fourth in the Eastern Conference Division. With the Sun moving to Houston, does that math change for 2027? Are we looking at a better schedule?
Dave: The geography changes, but the competition doesn’t vanish. Losing the Sun in Connecticut means they become the Houston franchise. They’re still in the Western Conference, so we won’t see them as often in regular-season matchups. That helps with fatigue. But the Eastern Conference is still stacked. The Valkyries and the Dream are rising. Finishing fourth again is realistic, maybe even likely, if we stay healthy.
Rachel: And we predicted twenty-two to twenty-four wins. Does the Houston move push us toward twenty-four?
Dave: It could. Fewer games against a top-tier Eastern opponent like the Sun means more opportunities to secure wins against mid-tier teams. If Isabelle Harrison can hold that ten-rebound average consistently, the tempo game works. But it requires discipline. One lapse in rotation, and you lose that win.
Rachel: Let’s pivot to the draft. Marcus in Chicago asks: 'Is JuJu Watkins the only option? The brief says she’s expected to be No. 1. Do we take her regardless of price?' This is the big storyline. Everyone is talking about JuJu Watkins, Madison Booker, and Hannah Hidalgo. Where does Toronto fit in?
Dave: Marcus, you’re hitting on the exact tension. JuJu Watkins is the projected number one overall pick. For a team with a depleted roster and a history of injuries, adding a generational talent like Watkins makes sense. She complements Rice. Rice is the scorer; Watkins brings playmaking and defensive versatility. But the question is always: do we trade up? Or do we sit at the bottom of the lottery and hope for the best?
Rachel: Because the lottery is Nov. 15th, we have time to maneuver. But if we’re fourth in the division, do we have a good shot at the top three odds?
Dave: Fourth place doesn’t guarantee top-three lottery odds. We need the losses to pile up, or the lottery balls to fall our way. But if we get Watkins, the timeline accelerates. Rice, Allemand, Harrison, and Watkins? That’s a foundation. It’s scary to think about the gap between now and then, but it’s also exciting.
Rachel: Wait, let’s talk about that foundation. Lisa from Toronto asks: 'What happens to the veterans? Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Saniya Rivers are out. Nyara Sabally is out. Who is actually playing minutes in December?' This is the depth chart battle. Are we relying entirely on the core trio?
Dave: Lisa, that’s the hard truth. With Sabally, Rivers, Nelson-Ododa, and Griner all out, the frontcourt is thin. Harrison is playing heavy minutes. If she gets into foul trouble, we are exposed. The depth chart isn’t just a list; it’s a survival strategy. We need role players who can switch and shoot. Right now, the brief shows a lot of 'Out' statuses. That’s a red flag for November.
Rachel: So, free agency is key. We need bodies. Can we find them? Or are we stuck with what we have?
Dave: Free agency will be brutal. Teams are shedding contracts after this grueling season. We might find value in mid-level exceptions. But it’s risky. You bring in a new player, and they have to learn the system. In the WNBA, there’s no time for learning curves. You need instant impact. That’s why retaining Rice and Allemand is non-negotiable.
Rachel: Alright, lightning round. Ben in London asks: 'Can we beat the Valkyries next year?' Quick yes or no. And why?
Dave: No. Not yet. The Valkyries are opening at one in the power rankings. They have momentum. We have a rebuilding phase. Give it two years.
Rachel: Okay, next. Emma from Vancouver: 'Did the Sun’s move to Houston hurt Toronto’s chances of getting a better draft pick?' Straight answer.
Dave: Indirectly, yes. The Sun moving west removes a strong Eastern competitor. It might make the East slightly weaker on paper, which could help Toronto’s win total. But it doesn’t directly affect lottery odds unless the league adjusts the format. Currently, it’s just a scheduling shift.
Rachel: Final question. Kevin in Calgary: 'If we draft JuJu Watkins, what is her position? Point guard? Wing? How does she fit with Kiki Rice?'
Dave: She’s a wing who can initiate. Think of her as the secondary creator. Rice handles the isolation scoring; Watkins handles the pick-and-roll and transition. It creates a dual-threat engine. Defenses can’t double-team both. It’s the most logical fit for the current roster structure.
Rachel: Dual-threat engine. I like that. So, to recap: Rice is efficient but needs support. Watkins is the target. Harrison is the anchor. And the Sun are gone. Dave, any final thoughts before we go?
Dave: Stay healthy. That’s the only variable we control. If the core stays on the floor, the ceiling is high. If not, we’re fighting for fourth again.
Rachel: Thanks for listening to the Beatline Podcast Network. Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts. Share this episode with a friend who needs some Tempo optimism. We’ll see you tomorrow. Go Tempo!