Olivia Nelson-ododa: Sykes Scores 38 in Tempo's 106-102 OT Win

olivia nelson-ododa came up in a night built on Brittney Sykes scoring 38 points, and the Toronto Tempo beat the Connecticut Sun 106-102 in overtime on Wednesday. It was Toronto’s first overtime win in franchise history, and it pushed the expansion club to four wins in its last five games.

Brittney Sykes at Coco-Cola Coliseum

Sykes matched her career high and did it efficiently. She went 13 for 13 at the line, then hit four free throws in the final 79 seconds to force overtime before adding three more in the five-minute extra period.

The game drew 8,210 fans at Coco-Cola Coliseum, and Toronto had to climb out of a 14-point second-quarter hole before it could finish the job. Sykes had already reached 38 points once this season, against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 17, and she entered Wednesday third in the league with 21.6 points per game.

Sandy Brondello Trusts Sykes

Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello said, "She knows I have her back." She also said, "I gave her a look a few times and complimented her on certain things."

Brondello called her "a true competitor" and said, "I think she's controlled her emotions." After a finish built on late free throws and a steady hand, that kind of trust matched the final score. Toronto got the win, and Sykes did the closing at the stripe.

Tempo Move to Seventh

The result left Toronto seventh in the 15-team league. More importantly for a team still building as an expansion club, it turned another big scoring night into a win instead of a highlight reel.