Toronto Tempo v. New York Liberty: WNBA preview and prediction
Brondello, Toronto’s coach, returns to Barclays Arena for the first time since she was fired by the Liberty after last season. She led the franchise to its only WNBA title the year before.
She also has the expansion Tempo playing competently right now. They have won two straight overall, including a 93-72 victory over Seattle on Saturday that featured a second-half beatdown.
Marina Mabrey had 18 points, Kiki Rice added 17 points and six rebounds, and Brittney Sykes contributed 15 points as Toronto outscored the Storm by 20 points in the second half.
French International Pauline Astier led the Liberty with 16 points, six rebounds, and six assists as New York defeated Phoenix for the second time in three days last Friday, 75-68.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton had 13 points while Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones combined for 17 points and 18 rebounds as the Liberty held a massive advantage on the glass.
Toronto Tempo vs. New York Liberty WNBA Odds and Betting Trends
The host Liberty are listed as an 8.5-point favourite tonight with a -360 money line. Toronto’s money line is at +280. The Tempo are 4-1 against the spread and 3-2 straight up on the road. New York is 3-3 straight up and against the spread at home.
The Over/Under for this contest is 171. The Liberty have played to the Under in five straight games, while Toronto has played to the Over in four of five road contests.
Toronto Tempo
Reserve guard Julie Allemand returned after missing five games with some hip issues. She had six points, four rebounds, and four assists in 17 minutes against Seattle.
Rookie forwards Maria Conde and Laura Juskaite continue to carve out meaningful roles off the bench for Toronto. Juskaite had 14 points and five rebounds, and Conde added 13 points and six rebounds against the Storm.
The Tempo set a WNBA record by making 31 straight free throws to start the game on Saturday. They finished 31-for-33 (94%), while Seattle took only eight foul shots.
New York Liberty
Astier is proving her worth as a rookie. She is third on the team with 12 points per game, to go along with 3.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Last Friday was the fourth time she tallied 16 or more points, but the first since May 14th against Portland, when she had 20.
Sabrina Ionescu remains sidelined with back issues. She has played only one game for New York so far. Ionescu was declared out for tonight’s contest earlier today, giving Toronto the advantage in the backcourt.
WNBA Prediction: Who will win Tempo vs. Liberty?
Stewart leads the Liberty with 18.8 points per game, but she only scored 20 combined in the two matchups with the Mercury last week. New York needs her in that 20-to-25-point range tonight against a Toronto squad that is not intimidated by the road.
In fact, look for the Tempo to at least cover the 8.5-point spread as underdogs tonight. Take the Liberty to win, 84-80, but don’t be surprised if the Tempo leave the court with their straight win to support Brondello’s return.