Kiki Rice Has Been a Ray of Hope for Tempo Since Returning From Injury
No team has dealt with more injuries than the Toronto Tempo this season. Isabelle Harrison missed the start of the season, and Nyara Sabally and Temi Fagbenle have been in and out of the lineup. Aneesah Morrow played just seven games after coming to Toronto in a trade-deadline deal before suffering a season-ending injury. Brittney Sykes played only 17 games, and Kiki Rice missed almost all of June and July with an ankle sprain.
Those injuries were just too much to overcome. So, instead of fighting for a playoff spot in their first season, the Tempo are in the running for the number-one pick in the 2027 WNBA Draft—which is honestly not a bad bargain considering that the draft could feature JuJu Watkins, Madison Booker, and Hannah Hidalgo.
Even with that in mind, it’s been a brutal stretch for players, coaches, and fans alike. Toronto has only won two games in July and August combined. They secured a surprise victory over the New York Liberty and an 82–79 win against the Portland Fire that snapped a 12-game losing streak.
Rice, who returned from her injury about a month ago has been a much-needed bright spot throughout all the losses and mounting injuries. Her play is offering hope that a much better Tempo season is not far away.
Kiki Rice is playing very well
It has been a very strong August for Rice. She is averaging 14 points on 50% shooting from the field and 37.5% on 3-pointers, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, while taking good care of the ball with just 1.2 turnovers per game.
She has scored at least 10 points in seven consecutive games and also dished out at least four assists in six of those games while never turning the ball over more than twice.
About a week ago, after a nine-point loss to the Washington Mystics, Sandy Brondello called Rice a franchise player.
After a 12th consecutive loss that removed the Tempo from playoff contention against the Mystics Wednesday, I asked Coach Sandy Brondello about the difficulty of this stretch and any potential silver linings.
— District of Buckets (@BucketsDistrict) August 20, 2026
“She’s the franchise player” Brondello said of rookie Kiki Rice. pic.twitter.com/4g77km1gMU
Rice is certainly playing like one. She just recorded a career-high 24 points on 50% shooting from the field and 11-11 from the free-throw line along with 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal in a loss to the Seattle Storm. With Sykes and Marina Mabrey sidelined, Rice ran the offense, guarded Flau’jae Johnson, and still led all players in scoring. Shooting 5-9 from inside the arc against a team that has Dominique Malonga, Awa Fam, and Ezi Magbegor protecting the paint is no easy feat, either.
Rice’s efforts may not lead to many wins down the stretch—which is good for the Tempo’s future—but she is already promising a better 2027 season and a bright future beyond that. With Sykes, Mabrey, Rice, and a lottery pick coming in, Toronto has a great foundation for the next season and could quickly make its way into the playoff picture.
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.