"“For me, most importantly, I'm just focused on us playing better than we did last game.” The message from Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello heading into Wednesday night's matchup against the Seattle Storm was clear. Despite her team clawing back against the Washington Mystics in what ended up as a three-point loss, and even acknowledging the role of “nerves,” it was evident that moral victories were not going to cut it anymore even after a feel-good, history making effort last Friday."
"“When you can keep a team to 68 points, that's a game you should win.” Well, why didn't they? “Our running habits, we lingered,” Brondello explained pre-game on Wednesday. “ ... and moving the ball, we can't have 10 assists and expect to win.” So, with their mindset clear and boxes waiting to be checked, the Tempo tipped off against an upstart Storm squad and did what was required to capture an 86-73 win, the first victory in the expansion franchise's history."
"While the Tempo may have been satisfied with their overall defensive effort from Game 1, if there was one glaring weakness, it was how they handled the Mystics bigs, with Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen both racking up double-doubles. And the early goings of Wedneday's game looked to be telling a similar story. Storm forward Dominique Malonga racked up 14 first-half points, with centre Stefanie Dolson not far behind with 10 points."
"The duo combined to make 9-of-16 shots, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Malonga opened the half with a right-wing triple and would've ended it with a couple more points had she hit her free-throws after getting fouled by Brittney Sykes on a breakway layup right before the buzzer. But as the Tempo went into the break surely looking to find ways to slowdown Malonga and Dolson, there was solace in knowing the offence which “lingered” throughout Game 1 had found somewhat of a rhythm."
Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello emphasized playing better than the prior game rather than relying on moral victories. After a three-point loss to Washington, the team identified issues with ball movement and offensive efficiency, noting that lingering possessions and too few assists would not lead to wins. Against Seattle, Toronto started with a clear mindset and delivered an 86-73 win, the first in the expansion franchise’s history. Early scoring from Seattle’s Dominique Malonga and Stefanie Dolson created a challenge, but Toronto’s offense found rhythm and the team worked to limit the impact of the Storm’s bigs while maintaining defensive effectiveness.
Read at Raptors Republic
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]