With the WNBA Finals wrapping up Saturday night, the Toronto Tempo’s first full off-season begins with some looming decisions.
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season → wrap → decisions
After an injury-riddled season saw the Tempo fall to the bottom of the standings, general manager Monica Wright Rogers will have her hands full to improve the roster.
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hands → riddle → roster
Toronto isn’t expected to overhaul its roster but could add a franchise centrepiece if the lottery balls fall the right way.
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balls → expect → centrepiece
Here are the main items on the agenda the Tempo will tackle ahead of the 2027 season.
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Tempo → tackle → season
Lottery odds revealed
Toronto has a 32.9 per cent chance at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 WNBA draft, tied with the Houston Comets (formerly the Connecticut Sun) for the best odds at the top pick.
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Toronto → reveal → pick
Each team has 329 out of the 1,000 combinations, the league revealed Wednesday.
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league → have → combinations
Only the first two spots are up for grabs for the six lottery teams, so the Tempo are guaranteed at least the fourth overall pick.
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Tempo → guarantee → pick
The results of the WNBA draft lottery will be broadcast on Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. on TSN Premium (the Grey Cup is happening the same night).
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Cup → broadcast → Premium
Top names eligible for the draft, if they declare, include USC’s Juju Watkins, Texas’ Madison Booker and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo.
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they → declare → Watkins
Wright Rogers told the Star earlier that acquiring one of those top picks could change the trajectory of the organization.
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acquiring → tell → organization
Toronto has six players under contract for next season — Marina Mabrey, Brittney Sykes, Kiki Rice, Aneesah Morrow, Julie Allemand and Teonni Key.
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Toronto → have → season
They have $4,412,420 in cap space available to fill out their roster.
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They → have → roster
Five players are set to hit free agency: Temi Fagbenle, Isabelle Harrison, Kia Nurse, Maria Conde and Nyara Sabally.
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players → set → agency
It’s very unlikely the Tempo will bring back Fagbenle.
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Tempo → ’ → Fagbenle
The organization signed Fagbenle to a one-year, $1 million contract after striking out on Washington Mystics forward Shakira Austin, who was recently named to the all-WNBA second team and all-defensive first team.
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who → sign → team
A source told the Star the team shopped Fagbenle during the season but had no suitors.
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team → tell → suitors
Fagbenle’s season in Toronto was riddled with injuries; she appeared in 25 out of 44 games, averaging 5.9 points and 3.4 rebounds.
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she → riddle → points
Nurse made history, becoming the first Canadian to be signed and play for Canada’s WNBA team.
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Canadian → make → team
The 30-year-old played a crucial role as a veteran presence in the locker room, but it’s unclear if she’ll return.
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she → play → room
She averaged a career-high 12.8 points and 6.9 rebounds in 23.7 minutes per game this past season.
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She → average → game
She’s expected to return as a bench piece for the Tempo.
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She → expect → Tempo
This was Conde’s first year in the WNBA despite prior attempts to bring the Spanish player from overseas.
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This → bring → player
Brondello has said she hopes to have her return, but it’s unclear.
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it → say → ?
Sabally is a restricted free agent and recently underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on her left knee but is expected to be fully healthy for next season.
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Sabally → undergo → season
She played in 24 games in an up-and-down injury-riddled season.
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She → play → season
It’s most likely she’ll be back next season given her close relationship with Brondello.
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she → ’ → Brondello
Even though she’s 28 years old, it was forward Laura Juskaite’s rookie year in the WNBA and she thoroughly impressed.
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she → ’ → WNBA
Juskaite emerged as a key piece in the rotation, playing all 44 games while averaging 11.3 points and the Tempo should look to have her back.
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Tempo → emerge → her
Only two deals were made at the WNBA trade deadline last season and the Tempo were involved in one of them, acquiring Morrow to address rebounding concerns.
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Tempo → make → concerns
The front office has been open about its interest in shoring up the post presence and adding players to improve the team’s defence.
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office → shore → defence
The Tempo ranked last in the league in blocks and had the worst defensive rating in the league.
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Tempo → rank → league
It’s unlikely the Tempo will find what they need in the WNBA draft, but there might be some options through free agency.
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they → ’ → agency
A name to monitor is centre Brittney Griner.
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name → monitor → ?
Wright Rogers served as the assistant GM with the Phoenix Mercury when Griner was the franchise’s cornerstone player.
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Griner → serve → Mercury
Another player is six-foot-six Awak Kuier, who averaged 6.3 points and 3.9 rebounds off the bench for the Dallas Wings.
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who → average → Wings
Important off-season dates
Nov. 15 — Draft lottery
Jan. 30-Feb. 3 — Window for extending qualifying offers and core designations
Feb. 4 — Free agency officially opens
Feb. 16 — Moratorium lifted, signing period starts
April 12 — Draft
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period → extend → offers
The Aporia
