Set The Tempo

The inaugural Toronto Tempo season is in the books. Now it’s time to hand out the report cards.In the first offseason episode of Set The Tempo, Tyler Conium grades the 2026 Toronto Tempo as a team and every player who finished the season on the roster, breaking down the highs, disappointments, surprises and biggest building blocks heading into year two. Pasted textToronto finished 11-33, but an expansion season defined by injuries, travel and adversity still produced a legitimate core, a first-ever All-Star and one of the most promising rookies in the WNBA. Tyler gives the team an overall B-, weighing the difficult record against the circumstances and the foundation Toronto established. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesqueezes.substack.com

That’s a wrap on year one.The Toronto Tempo’s inaugural WNBA season is officially over following their final game against the Connecticut Sun — and despite the difficult ending, Toronto walks into the offseason with plenty to be excited about. Pasted textIn this episode of Set The Tempo, Tyler Conium breaks down the season finale, a career-high 28-point performance from rookie Kiki Rice, and what the result means for Toronto’s chances of landing the No. 1 pick in the 2027 WNBA Draft.Toronto finishes tied with Connecticut for the best odds in the draft lottery at 29.5%, giving the Tempo a legitimate shot at potentially adding an elite prospect to a young core already featuring Rice, Marina Mabrey, Brittney Sykes, Aneesah Morrow and Nyara Sabally.But this episode is also about taking stock of year one: the historic moments, the injuries, the breakout performances, the connection Toronto has built with its new WNBA team — and why year two could look very different. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesqueezes.substack.com

It all comes down to one game.In this episode of Set The Tempo, Tyler Conium reacts to the Toronto Tempo’s 97-85 loss to the Chicago Sky, setting up a fascinating finale against the Connecticut Sun with major WNBA Draft Lottery implications.Toronto was tied at halftime before another damaging quarter changed the game. This time it was a 28-11 third quarter, continuing a season-long pattern of one bad stretch undoing otherwise competitive performances.There were still positives. Izzy Harrison posted 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Laura Yuskaitė continued her breakout finish with 20 points.But now the focus shifts entirely to Connecticut.If the Sun beat Toronto in the final game, the two teams would finish tied for the best odds in the WNBA Draft Lottery. If Toronto wins, the Tempo would finish with the second-best odds.One game. One final postgame show. And potentially a major swing in the future of the franchise. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesqueezes.substack.com

That is a wrap on the Toronto Tempo’s inaugural home schedule — and unfortunately, it ended with one of their ugliest losses of the season.In this episode of Set The Tempo, Tyler Conium reacts to Toronto’s 106-69 loss to the New York Liberty at Coca-Cola Coliseum.The Liberty dominated offensively behind Breanna Stewart’s 27 points, while Toronto struggled badly from the field and from three. The biggest bright spot was Laura Yuskaitė, who delivered a career-high 28 points, while Kiki Rice added 19 points and 5 assists.Toronto is now 11-31, has lost six straight and 18 of its last 19 games, with only two contests remaining in the inaugural season.At this point, the focus is squarely on development, the future core, and the WNBA Draft Lottery. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesqueezes.substack.com

Welcome back, Tempo fans. The WNBA is back — and the Toronto Tempo have only three games left in their inaugural season.In this episode of Set The Tempo, Tyler Conium reacts to Toronto’s 103-85 loss to the Indiana Fever following the extended FIBA break.The final score looks lopsided, but Toronto stayed competitive for three quarters despite playing without Marina Mabrey, Brittney Sykes, Aneesah Morrow, Nyara Sabally and Maria Conde. The game finally got away from the Tempo in the fourth.Meanwhile, Kelsey Mitchell made WNBA history, Caitlin Clark produced a monster performance, Kiki Rice continued to show why she is one of Toronto’s most important building blocks, and the race for the best odds in the 2027 WNBA Draft Lottery became even more interesting. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesqueezes.substack.com