Flau’jae Johnson led with 20 points, supported by Dominique Malonga with 18, as the Seattle Storm triumphed over the undermanned Toronto Tempo with a final score of 90-78 in a Wednesday night showdown. Jade Melbourne contributed 16 points and seven assists to the victory for Seattle (8-31), breaking a streak of 14 losses in the last 15 games. Awa Fam and Zia Cooke also made notable contributions with 10 points each.
Toronto faced significant absences with Marina Mabrey (adductor), Brittney Sykes (foot), and Nyara Sabally (calf) sidelined, their top three scorers missing from action. Rookie Kiki Rice delivered an impressive performance with a season-high 24 points for Toronto (11-27), while Isabelle Harrison recorded a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
Seattle surged in the third quarter, ending with an 11-4 run to seize a 64-61 lead, and extended their dominance into the fourth quarter with a 9-2 streak to secure a 10-point advantage.
Looking ahead, the Toronto Tempo will face Las Vegas on Friday night, while the Seattle Storm will host Los Angeles on Sunday.