The Toronto Tempo have won two straight and four of five, and have moved into a playoff position. They’ll head to Washington on Friday to take on the Mystics at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Washington has lost two straight and three of four. They were hit with a double whammy of bad luck in a 78-76 loss at home to the Indiana Fever on Monday. First, the Mystics lost second-year standout Kiki Iriafen to a sprained ankle in the first half. Then, the Mystics rallied from 17 down, only to lose on a Caitlin Clark three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left.
The Tempo needed overtime to knock off the lowly Connecticut Sun on Wednesday, 106-102. Brittney Sykes, who is now third in the league in scoring, tied her season and career-high with 38 points. It was the third straight game and the sixth time this season that Sykes led the team in scoring.
Now, Sykes faces her former team, the Mystics, for the second time this season. She had 14 points as the Tempo lost their franchise debut at home to the Mystics, 68-65.
Toronto Tempo vs. Washington Mystics WNBA Odds and Betting Trends
The Mystics are slight 2.5-point favourites at home on the WNBA odds, with a -130 moneyline. Toronto’s moneyline is at +110. The Tempo are 4-2 against the spread and 3-3 straight up on the road. Washington is 1-3 straight up and 3-1 against the spread at home.
The Over/Under for this contest is 168.5. The Mystics have played to the Over in four of six, while Toronto has played to the Over in seven of 10 overall, and five of six on the road.
Toronto Tempo
Rookie guard Kiki Rice, who is averaging 12.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, has missed two straight games with an ankle injury. She is not expected to play on Friday.
Nyara Sabally, who had 15 points and five rebounds in the win over the Sun, is nursing a hamstring injury and is questionable to play. She is fourth on the team, averaging 12.4 points per game, to go along with 5.4 rebounds.
Sykes is averaging 21.6 points, nearly 6 points more than her previous career high. She went 13-for-13 from the foul line on Wednesday. Marina Mabrey had 21, and Laura Juskaite added 19 points and six rebounds.
The team was badly out-rebounded, 42-28, in the win. Depth concerns are present for a team whose bench was outscored by Connecticut’s, 22-7.
Washington Mystics
Iriafen has been a rock since she was selected fourth overall out of USC in the 2025 WNBA draft. She was an All-Star last season, and she is averaging 14.6 points and a team-leading 8.9 rebounds this season. Any absence for any length of time would be a big hit for Washington.
Fellow second-year stud Sonia Citron had 12 points and five assists against the Fever. Michaela Onyenwere, on her fourth team in six seasons, had a team-best 17 points on Monday night. She is averaging a career-high 9.7 points.
Rookie Georgia Amoore chipped in with 12 points, and Shakira Austin had 10 points and nine rebounds. Austin is averaging career bests in scoring, rebounding, and assists so far this season.
WNBA Prediction: Who will win Tempo vs. Mystics?
Iriafen’s absence is the X-factor here. Assuming the sprain is bad enough to sideline her for at least one game, the Mystics are suddenly very vulnerable inside. Austin and rookie Angela Dugalic would need to pick up the slack in the paint.
This should be a good one. Look for the Tempo to win straight up as a 2.5-point dog, 91-88.
