The Toronto Tempo suffered a heartbreaking 86-85 loss to the Washington Mystics on Friday night at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C.
The Tempo showed tremendous resilience, battling back from a double-digit deficit in the second half and briefly taking the lead in the closing seconds. Toronto trailed by as many as 18 points before mounting an impressive fourth-quarter comeback led by Marina Mabrey.
Mabrey was sensational, scoring a game-high 27 points, including 18 points in a remarkable fourth-quarter surge that helped erase Washington’s lead. Brittney Sykes added 20 points against her former team as Toronto fought back to take an 85-84 lead with just 11.1 seconds remaining.
However, the Mystics had one final possession. Following a jump ball with less than a second remaining, Sonia Citron received the tip and knocked down the game-winning jumper at the buzzer, giving Washington the dramatic 86-85 victory. Citron finished with 17 points, while Lauren Betts recorded a career-high 18 points for the Mystics.
Despite the loss, Toronto displayed tremendous character in nearly completing one of the league’s biggest comebacks of the season. The defeat drops the Tempo to 7-6 on the season, while Washington improves to 5-6.
The Tempo will look to bounce back in their next game as they continue their inaugural WNBA season.
