Tip-off: 10:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington
Both teams are eliminated from playoff contention and rank near the bottom of the WNBA standings (Tempo 6th in the East / overall ~13th; Storm last in the West / overall 15th). This is a matchup of struggling squads, with Toronto in the middle of a lengthy road trip (including recent neutral-site games in Vancouver) and Seattle seeking to snap a three-game losing streak.
Current Rosters
Toronto Tempo (coach Sandy Brondello): Kia Nurse (G, recently led with 19 points), Kiki Rice (G, ~12 PPG range in recent action), Isabelle Harrison (F), Temi Fagbenle (C), Laura Juškaitė (F), Teonni Key (F), plus depth such as Ornella Bankole and developmental players. The roster has been severely depleted.
Seattle Storm (coach Sonia Raman): Dominique Malonga (C, ~17.0 PPG, 8.9 RPG), Flau’jae Johnson (G, productive scorer/3-point threat), Jade Melbourne (G), Ezi Magbegor (F/C), Awa Fam (C), Zia Cooke (G), Jordan Horston (F), Katie Lou Samuelson (F/G), Stefanie Dolson (C), Mackenzie Holmes (F), and others.
Injury Reports
Tempo: Severely short-handed. Marina Mabrey (team-leading ~20.8 PPG) out (adductor; re-evaluated in a few weeks). Brittney Sykes out for season (foot). Aneesah Morrow out for season (knee). Nyara Sabally out (calf; walking boot, re-eval in weeks). Julie Allemand out/suspended contract (head). Maria Conde questionable/day-to-day (calf). The team has suited up as few as 7–8 healthy players recently.
Storm: Natisha Hiedeman (key scorer/playmaker, ~15.4 PPG, 4.8 APG) out (shoulder; ruled out for this game). Flau’jae Johnson probable/day-to-day (ankle).
Recent Team Forms
Tempo (last 10: ~1-9; streak L1): Snapped a 12-game skid with an 82-79 neutral-site win over Portland (Aug. 21 in Vancouver), then lost 78-88 to Las Vegas (Aug. 23). Prior results include losses to Washington, Indiana, and others. Road record is poor (~4-13). Offense averages ~87.3 PPG but defense allows ~93.7.
Storm (last 10: ~1-9; streak L3): Recent losses include 70-92 at Dallas (Aug. 23), narrow home defeats to Chicago (80-82) and Portland (82-84). One win in the stretch came against Chicago (97-88). Home record ~5-13. Offense ~82.9 PPG; defense allows ~88.4. Malonga has been a bright spot with strong recent double-digit scoring/rebounding.
Series History (2026)
Toronto leads the season series 2-0: 86-73 win (May 13 at home) and 93-72 win (May 30 at home). Both games stayed under typical totals. This is the third and final meeting.
Key Player Matchups
Dominique Malonga / Ezi Magbegor / Awa Fam vs. Isabelle Harrison / Temi Fagbenle / available Tempo bigs: Malonga (scoring and rebounding leader) and Seattle’s frontcourt size/athleticism should dominate the glass and interior against Toronto’s depleted frontcourt. Tempo lacks depth after season-ending injuries to Morrow and Sabally’s absence.
Flau’jae Johnson / Jade Melbourne / remaining Storm guards vs. Kia Nurse / Kiki Rice / limited Tempo backcourt: Without Mabrey, Sykes, and Allemand, Toronto relies on Nurse (hot recently) and Rice for creation and scoring. Seattle’s perimeter (even without Hiedeman) has more healthy options and defensive activity.
Overall pace and efficiency: Both teams struggle defensively. Tempo shoots better from three in volume but turns the ball over and lacks bench production due to injuries. Seattle’s youth (Malonga, Johnson, Fam) offers upside in a low-stakes game.
Team stats slightly favor Seattle on the glass and in blocks/steals volume, while Toronto has edged scoring averages but is crippled by absences.
Betting Trends
Tempo has covered at a solid rate recently (strong ATS in last several) despite the poor SU record. Storm are roughly even or slightly better ATS overall. Prior H2H games went under. Public lean has varied, with some action on the home favorite and the under in spots. Both teams rank poorly in net rating, supporting a potentially competitive but error-prone contest.
GAME ODDS
Toronto Tempo 175
Seattle Storm – 7
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Tuesday, August 25, 2026
