Mabrey, Sykes Attend Raptors Playoff Games — Wnba Schedule
Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes got their first real look at Toronto’s basketball crowd on the wnba schedule swing that took the Tempo to Scotiabank Arena. After training camp, they joined other Tempo players for Raptors playoff home games on Thursday night and again on Sunday.
Scotiabank Arena and the Tempo
The pair sat in for Game 3 of Round 1 against the Cavaliers, then saw some of the same teammates return two nights later. Scotiabank Arena filled up for both games as the Raptors won twice to even the series, giving the expansion group a firsthand view of how Toronto responds when the building is full and the stakes are immediate.
Sykes said the scene hit fast. “It was crazy in there, the atmosphere, the energy, it gave you chills a bit,” she said at Monday’s Tempo media day. She added, “I’m like bro this is nice, this would be great for us (to have too).”
Mabrey and Sykes on the crowd
Mabrey took the same lesson from the stands. “The experience at the game was amazing obviously last night and I just hope we can build that for the Tempo too,” she said at Monday’s Tempo media day. The comments came after multiple Tempo players were recognized and stopped on the road in their first few days in Toronto, a small sign of how quickly the club is being noticed before its inaugural summer.
Bhatia met both players at the game, and he also posted about them on Instagram. He said, “Future Hall of Famer. Future Toronto Tempo champion. Just have her practicing with the rings on,” and he wrote that he has floor seats and season tickets to the Tempo’s inaugural summer. He also told followers he could not wait for May 8th.
Nav Bhatia and May 8th
Sykes said fans at the arena made the connection for her before she left. “Literally every fan was like ‘we’re gonna be the same at your game some day!’” she said. “We ain’t got this many seats but I’m gonna hold you to it, I better see you.” That is the challenge now: turn a playoff crowd’s energy into an opening-night base when the Tempo start their 2025 season on May 8th.
