Toronto Tempo guard Brittney Sykes and forward Aneesah Morrow will miss the remainder of the 2026 WNBA season after both sustained injuries during an August 21st matchup against the Portland Fire.
Brittney Sykes, Aneesah Morrow Ruled Out After Portland Fire Game
Sykes suffered a left foot strain, while Morrow went down with a left knee issue. Neither player will require surgery, and both are expected to make full recoveries.
The losses sting for an expansion franchise already reeling from a 12-game losing streak.
Sykes had been one of Toronto's most reliable scorers, averaging 18.6 points across 17 games before missing time earlier this season with a plantar fascia knock.
Morrow, meanwhile, appeared in just seven games after arriving via a July 31st trade from Connecticut. She contributed an average of 9.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in limited play.
But the Tempo's injury troubles extend beyond the duo.
Injuries Plague Toronto Tempo's Inaugural Season
Leading scorer Marina Mabrey, along with Nyara Sabally and Maria Conde, were also ruled out of Sunday's 88-78 loss to the Las Vegas Aces with various ailments.
Toronto dressed just seven rostered players for that game. The team recently signed Kiana Williams to a hardship contract to help pad out their thinning lineup.
Brittney Sykes left Tuesday's game against the Indiana Fever early with an apparent injury.
The Toronto Tempo guard collapsed during a non-contact play in the third quarter, eventually needing help off the court. Toronto subsequently ruled her out for the rest of the the 113-91 Tempo vs Fever loss.
Before the injury, Sykes had been Toronto's most efficient player, putting up 11 points and three assists in just 19 minutes of action.
Toronto Injury Update: Sandy Brondello Faces Tempo Roster Crisis
However, the Tempo were already shorthanded.
Toronto is currently without Kiki Rice and Nyara Sabally due to existing injuries. And losing Sykes only deepened head coach Sandy Brondello's roster problems.
Indiana pulled away after Sykes went down. Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 27 points, while Caitlin Clark added 21 points and 14 assists. Without its backcourt anchor, the Tempo had no answer for Indiana's transition game.
The loss is Toronto's third in a row, dropping Brondello's side to 7-8 on the season. Medical staff will evaluate Sykes ahead of Friday's road trip to Connecticut.
That game against the Sun tips off at 7:30 PM ET, lvie on WNBA League Pass.
The Tempo is building rhythm, as newcomer No. 8 Toronto hops above the playoff line after Wednesday’s 106-102 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup win over No. 15 Connecticut.
Inaugural backcourt duo Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey instantly gelled, averaging a combined 39.5 points a game. Sykes’s 38-point run against the Sun anchors the stats, as she became the league's third-highest leading scorer.
“We put the ball in her hands a fair bit near the end, and she made great things happen,” Tempo coach Sandy Brondello said.
Toronto tests its resilience this weekend, first facing No. 11 Washington. The Mystics enter off Monday’s 78-76 loss to No. 6 Indiana courtesy of Caitlin Clark’s walk-off 3-pointer.
“We’ve had moments where we’re on the ropes, and to see us show that Mystics DNA, the togetherness, the toughness,” said Washington head coach Sydney Johnson. “We don’t even get to that moment if we don’t show who we are.”
The Tempo heads home on Sunday. Toronto hosts No. 4 Atlanta, as the Dream subsequently looks to leapfrog Toronto in the Eastern Conference standings.
Where to Watch Tempo vs Mystics Commissioner's Cup Game
Toronto takes on Washington tonight at 7:30 PM ET, live on ION.
Brittney Sykes led the Toronto Tempo to a 106-102 overtime win against the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday night, matching her career-high 38 points in the latest WNBA Commissioner's Cup game.
However, the victory didn't come easy.
Brittney Sykes, Marina Mabrey Help Tempo Erase 14-Point Deficit
Toronto trailed by 14 in the second quarter. But Sykes kept the Tempo alive, shooting a perfect 13-of-13 from the free-throw line. She then hit four free throws in the final 80 seconds of regulation to force overtime.
From there, Toronto took control.
Marina Mabrey added 21 points, while Laura Juskaite contributed 19. The Tempo (7-5) have now won four of its last five games.
Connecticut, meanwhile, saw a breakout performance from second-year star Aaliyah Edwards.
The Ontario native posted a career-high 24 points on 8-of-9 shooting. French guard Leïla Lacan matched that total with 24 of her own. Still, the Sun couldn't keep pace in the extra period as they fell to 2-12 on the season.
Where to Watch WNBA Commissioner's Cup Games This Week
Toronto is back in action tomorrow, visiting the Washington Mystics at 7:30 PM ET, live on ION.
The Sun then hosts the Indiana Fever on Saturday at 6 PM ET, live on Peacock.
Brittney Sykes scored 25 points to lead Toronto past Chicago 85-68 in Sunday's Sky vs Tempo showdown.
The veteran guard added seven rebounds and three assists in a complete performance that helped Toronto control the game from the opening tip.
Sykes and Tempo Frontline Dictate the Pace Early
The Tempo (6-5) pulled ahead in the first quarter and kept the Sky at a distance all afternoon.
Former NY Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison made her season debut after recovering from a thumb injury to score 14 points. Her first-quarter 3-pointer pushed the lead to double digits.
Teammate and fellow Liberty transfer Nyara Sabally added 15 points, helping the Tempo outscore Chicago 46-30 in the paint. And guard Marina Mabrey contributed nine points, six assists, and four rebounds to keep Toronto's offense moving.
Azurá Stevens Secures Double-Double Despite Sky vs Tempo Loss
Chicago, meanwhile, shot just 23-of-65 from the field, a 35% clip that made it difficult to mount any real challenge. The Sky additionally lost the rebounding battle, falling 44-37.
Azurá Stevens was the exception for Chicago on the night. The 6-foot-6 center posted 18 points and 10 rebounds for her second consecutive double-double. But the rest of the Sky roster couldn't match her effort on a cold shooting afternoon.
The Sky will next face the Atlanta Dream at home on Tuesday, while Sykes and the Tempo host the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday, June 10th.
Coming off a series of strategic transactions, the No. 10 Washington Mystics will forge ahead on Friday night, taking on the short-staffed No. 6 Indiana Fever with a chance to play spoiler as they reshape their 2025 expectations from below the postseason cutoff line.
"There's just so many different success stories with this group," Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson said following Washington's 88-83 loss to the No. 7 Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday.
The Mystics have lost five of their last six games, and will take the court on Friday without injured new addition Jacy Sheldon and starting center Shakira Austin.
While Washington exceeded this year's early-season projections — skyrocketing above the playoff line behind leading scorer Brittney Sykes and the dynamic rookie duo of Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron — the now-fading Mystics chose to shift gears at the trade deadline, sending Sykes to the No. 8 Seattle Storm and shipping second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards off to the No. 13 Connecticut Sun.
With their natural 2026 draft pick secured, Washington has a shot at adding a top first-round prospect should they play out the rest of the regular season at the bottom of the WNBA standings — in other words, by strategically tanking the final weeks of 2025 play.
On the other hand, the injury-laden Indiana enters Friday's action eyeing a win after falling to the No. 11 Dallas Wings by just one point on Tuesday.
How to watch the Washington Mystics vs. Indiana Fever on Friday
The No. 10 Mystics will take on the No. 6 Fever in Indianapolis at 7:30 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage airing on ION.
Thursday's WNBA trade deadline came and went with one final flurry of activity, as the No. 10 Washington Mystics leaned all the way into their rebuild by sending 2024 No. 6 draft pick Aaliyah Edwards to the No. 13 Connecticut Sun.
"Bringing Aaliyah to the Connecticut Sun is more than just a roster move.... Aaliyah is a transformational talent with the mindset and drive that aligns with our vision of building a championship culture," Sun GM Morgan Tuck said in a statement. "Aaliyah is the kind of person and player who can help redefine the future of this organization and we're ready to build that future together."
In return for Edwards, Connecticut sent 2024 No. 5 draft pick Jacy Sheldon to the Mystics, with Washington also receiving the right to a first-round pick swap in 2026 WNBA Draft in the trade deal.
The move follows a Tuesday trade in which the Mystics offloaded their leading scorer Brittney Sykes to the No. 6 Seattle Storm in return for forward Alysha Clark and a 2026 first-round draft pick.
While a few major midseason moves emerged this week, seven of the league's 13 teams decided to forego any trades, with No. 2 New York, No. 3 Atlanta, No. 4 Phoenix, No. 5 Indiana, No. 8 Golden State, No. 9 LA, and No. 11 Chicago holding their rosters steady in the final week of the transaction window.
The clock is ticking down toward the WNBA trade deadline, as teams around the league evaluate their rosters and make midseason moves ahead of Thursday's 3 PM ET final whistle.
The No. 10 Washington Mystics made the most recent transactional splash, sending leading scorer Brittney Sykes to the No. 6 Seattle Storm on Tuesday.
In return, Washington received forward Alysha Clark, guard Zia Cooke, and a 2026 first-round draft pick — though the Mystics immediately waived Cooke as well as center Sika Koné.
Teams now have a little more than 24 hours to decide if they’re stocking up for the postseason or punting this year's potential to shore up future prospects.
Though the WNBA trade deadline has historically been less dramatic than other leagues thanks to hard salary caps and roster limitations, ramped-up expansion and the promise of a new CBA appear to be greasing the wheels this year.
While not every title contender has roster room to spare, teams in line for the lottery will likely look to clean house this week.
To that end, Washington may still be dealing: 2024 No. 6 overall draft pick Aaliyah Edwards played just seven minutes for the Mystics in their 78-64 loss to the No. 11 Chicago Sky on Tuesday, sparking rumors of another potential big trade.
As for the last-place Connecticut Sun, guard Marina Mabrey could serve as a last-minute asset after the team initially denied Mabrey's offseason trade request.
Team Clark has youth on their side this weekend, with Mystics rookie Sonia Citron gearing up to hit Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star court alongside Washington teammate and fellow 2025 draft pick Kiki Iriafen.
"I was not expecting this at all," Citron told WNBA legend Lisa Leslie on Between the Lines last week, referencing her surprise All-Star call-up. "I'm still in shock. I don't really think it's hit me yet."
"We're young, we've got a bunch of shooters, a little bit of everything" she said of Team Clark's lineup.
Saturday's game isn't Citron's only assignment this weekend, with the All-Star debutant also set to compete in Friday's 3-Point Contest.
The Mystics are on the rise this year, exceeding season expectations behind first-year firepower to send three players in Citron, Iriafen, and Washington's scoring leader Brittney Sykes to the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.
Citron is currently averaging five rebounds and 14 points per game — trailing only Sykes's 17 points per game on Washington's stat sheet. Her rookie campaign has her shooting 45% from the field and 36.5% from beyond the arc.
Fellow first-year Iriafen is also impressing, leading the Mystics with 8.5 rebounds per game as well as sinking nearly 12 points per game while shooting 46% from the field.
"[The rookies] have really played a key piece in our success this season with us being so young, but also them being so adaptable," second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards told Leslie in an earlier episode. "And they're runners for Rookie of the Year, so why not only have one when you can have two? I'm just loving it."
How to attend a live taping of "Between the Lines"
Just Women's Sports is taking over Indianapolis with multi-faceted activations for the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend — including a live recording of Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie.
Featuring interviews with Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever), and Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever), the exclusive podcast taping will occur at 110 S Pennsylvania Street at 3 PM ET on Saturday.
Team Clark will tip off the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend without its namesake captain, after superstar Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark announced she'll be sitting out of both the 3-Point Contest and the All-Star Game due to a lingering groin injury.
"I will still be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for all the action and I'm looking forward to helping Sandy [Brondello] coach our team to a win," Clark said in a statement.
In lieu of Clark as well as the previously injured Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally, Team Clark added both Washington Mystics guard Brittney Sykes and Atlanta Dream forward Brionna Jones to Saturday's roster.
Meanwhile, Clark's fellow Fever guard Lexie Hull will take over her spot in Friday's 3-Point Contest.
The availability of another starter on the Indiana star's All-Star squad is currently up in the air, as a recent knock to the wrist has Las Vega Aces icon and reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson's status listed as "to be determined."
As of Friday morning, there is no announcement for a replacement player should Wilson be unavailable on Saturday.
Roster shifts won't distract Team Clark
Despite the roster shakeups, Team Clark still boasts serious talent.
Along with Wilson, assuming she is playing, Saturday's tip-off will feature Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever) and Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty), with Brondello set to name the team's two additional starters.
Team Clark's deep pool of reserves include Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever), Gabby Williams (Seattle Storm), Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics), Kiki Iriafen (Washington Mystics), Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces), Kayla Thornton (Golden State Valkyries), as well as the aforementioned Sykes and Jones.
Liberty boss Brondello will lead Clark's side, with the 2024 WNBA champion coach anticipating a little intra-team strife back in New York.
"I'm going to trap [Ionescu]," Team Collier forward — and Liberty star — Breanna Stewart joked earlier this week. "Full-court press on Sab [Ionescu] in the All-Star Game."
Though injuries are taking their toll, it would be unwise to count out a roster as young and hungry as Team Clark this weekend.
How to watch Team Clark at the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game
Team Collier and Team Clark will square off in the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis at 8:30 PM ET on Saturday.
Live coverage of the game will air on ABC.