NFL
By: Davion Moore
The Toronto Tempo have their share of veterans, but there are some young players making names for themselves.
Marina Mabrey started her career in 2019, and players like Isabelle Harrison and Brittney Sykes started their journeys before that. In Harrison’s case, she was drafted in 2015, but she played her first season the following year. Skyes was drafted in 2017, and she has played for numerous teams.
Toronto added these players through an expansion draft, and when it came to rookies, they added a few through the 2026 WNBA Draft.
In the first round, the Tempo drafted Kiki Rice, and she was a part of UCLA’s championship-winning team. She helped her team get a victory over South Carolina, and that led to the Bruins being well represented in this year’s draft.
Lauren Betts was the first UCLA player drafted, and Gabriela Jaquez and Rice were after her. Then, in the end, six Bruins were selected.
Rice Establishes Herself
Since then, Rice has done well in her time in Toronto. She averages 12.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and a steal. The rookie is out with an ankle injury, but in the games she played, she was a valuable contributor. Her career high in points is 19, and she did it twice early in the season.
In a game against the Los Angeles Sparks, she had 19 points, five rebounds and two assists. The Tempo beat the Sparks 106-96, which helped them bounce back from the previous matchup. Los Angeles picked up a 99-95 win over Toronto a few days prior, and Rice had 11 points.
The second time Rice had a 19-point game was against the Portland Fire. The Tempo lost that game, but on top of her scoring, she contributed to other areas. She had five rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block.
Rice played a few more games after that, but her last outing was against the New York Liberty. That was back in June, and the Tempo have navigated her absence.
The future looks bright for Rice and the Tempo, and when she returns to action, she can pick up where she left off.
