The WNBA has officially arrived in Toronto.
In their first game in franchise history, the Toronto Tempo lost 83-78 to the Connecticut Sun in pre-season action on Wednesday at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Fittingly, it was Hamilton’s Kia Nurse who landed the first basket in Tempo history, swishing a three-pointer and sending the crowd into a frenzy at the 7:59 mark of the first quarter.
Sun veteran Brittney Griner scored the first field goal in the building, a layup at the 9:13 mark of the first quarter.
Connecticut opened up an early lead, but a late first-quarter run keyed by Tempo guard Lexi Held brought things level at 20 each. By early in the third quarter, Toronto opened up a 10-point lead and seemed to be in control.
However, the Sun clawed back to take a four-point lead late in the fourth quarter on a pull-up three-pointer from second-year forward Aneesah Morrow, who led the team with 19 points off the bench and added seven rebounds.
Morrow also had a key steal and layup with 48.4 seconds remaining to put the Sun up six.
A rambunctious crowd made a late impact as Connecticut’s Gianna Kneepkens missed a pair of clutch free throws, but Morrow grabbed the rebound on the second, and Charlisse Leger-Walker converted 1-of-2 after an intentional foul to restore the two-possession lead.
Held, the 26-year-old who spent last season with the Phoenix Mercury before joining the Tempo via the expansion draft, led Toronto with 18 points.