Toronto Tempo will be without forward Nyara Sabally for a second straight game when they visit the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday, dealing with a neck injury alongside other absences as they push for a third straight win.
The Toronto Tempo board the flight for Minnesota knowing one key name won’t be in the lineup again.
Forward Nyara Sabally is out for a second straight game as the Tempo close a four-game road trip against the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday, the team announced Thursday. Sabally is dealing with a neck injury and also missed Tuesday’s game when Toronto edged the Phoenix Mercury 98-90.
Toronto’s injury list doesn’t stop there. Julie Allemand (hip), Temi Fagbenle (shoulder) and Isabelle Harrison (hand) are also set to be out of the lineup Thursday.
The absence comes at the same time Toronto is trying to make momentum last. With Sabally unavailable, the Tempo are leaning harder on their scoring leaders as they search for their third straight win.
Toronto also made a roster move this week, converting centre Nina Milić to a hardship contract. Milić had previously signed a developmental contract on May 9 and has appeared in three of Toronto’s five games to start the season.
Minnesota is the next obstacle: the Lynx enter Thursday at 2-2. For Toronto, the pressure shifts to the backcourt and the team’s top producers. Veteran guard Brittney Sykes is second in the league with 25.6 points per game. while Marina Mabrey leads the league in three-pointers made with 18. On Tuesday against Phoenix. the pair combined for 61 of Toronto’s 98 points. and they’ll be expected to shoulder a similar load Thursday night.
After this game, the Tempo head back to Toronto on Saturday for a matchup with the Portland Fire in a clash of the WNBA’s newest expansion franchises. Chatham, Ont., native Bridget Carleton leads Portland, averaging 16.8 points and 2.4 steals.
WNBA Toronto Tempo Nyara Sabally Minnesota Lynx neck injury Brittney Sykes Marina Mabrey Nina Milić hardship contract Bridget Carleton Portland Fire
Neck injury again?? When does this team ever get healthy.
So they’re basically just gonna let Sykes and Mabrey score everything. If that’s the plan then wow, hope they don’t run out of steam by halftime. Also the hardship contract thing is confusing to me.
Hardship contract sounds like they just changed the rules mid-season? Like if one player gets hurt they can just swap contracts and call it “hardship.” I dunno, I’m probably missing something. Lynx at 2-2 though, feels like Toronto should’ve been higher?
Brittney Sykes second in the league with 25.6, and Mabrey leading threes… so Thursday gonna be a 3-point party? Meanwhile Sabally out with a neck injury two games in a row, that’s wild. I also saw Nina Milic name and thought it said “Nina Milić” like a basketball brand or something, no idea, but injuries always mess up the whole flow.