Tempo fans applaud team despite loss to Liberty in home finale of inaugural campaign

Toronto Tempo fall to New York Liberty in final home game of inaugural season

Breanna Stewart scored a game-high 27 points with eight rebounds and four assists in the New York Liberty’s 106-69 win against the expansion Toronto Tempo on Sunday.

The defeat did not appear to dampen the supportive mood in the Tempo’s final home game of its debut WNBA season before another capacity crowd of 8,200 at Coca-Cola Coliseum.

Stewart steered the United States to its fifth world championship title in Berlin last weekend and was named tournament MVP. She only played 22 minutes against Toronto.

Centre Jonquel Jones chipped in 11 points for the Liberty (26-16), winners of three straight.

Toronto Tempo receive standing ovation after final home game of inaugural season

Forward Laura Juskaite led the way for the Tempo with a career-high 28 points, followed by rookie Kiki Rice with 19.

The Tempo (11-31) was once again without its top offensive players, Brittney Sykes (left foot) and Marina Mabrey (right adductor), as Toronto dropped its sixth straight and 18th in 19 outings.

Tempo all-star guard Mabrey out for rest of season with right adductor injury

The first-year Tempo enjoyed a promising 7-5 start, but then hit a wall, first with the veteran Sykes sidelined. Mabrey, who sits fifth in WNBA scoring with 20.8 points per game, was knocked out of action last month.

The Tempo finished 4-17 at home, including two games in Montreal and two in Vancouver. Only the Connecticut Sun (three) and Seattle Storm (two) have fewer home victories.

Tim has covered the hockey landscape and other sports in Canada for three decades for The Canadian Press, CBC Sports, the Globe and Mail and Toronto Sun. He has been to three Winter Olympics, 11 Stanley Cups, a world championship as well as 17 world junior championships, 13 Memorial Cups and 13 University Cups. The native of Waterloo, Ont., always has his eye out for an underdog story.