Let me jump straight in to what we’re all thinking. No, this will not be Jordin Canada’s first career game north of the border. The Dream played the Tempo in Toronto back on June 14, and while Canada was held to just five points, Atlanta won in a lopsided 102-77 affair. Cool? Cool.
The Tempo will need to shake off some poor recent play if they’d like a different result to Round 2 on Friday. Toronto has dropped five of its last six contests, including a 17-point loss to the Mystics on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Dream are 2-6 in their last eight, though they did best the Sparks earlier this week.
Let’s break down tonight’s tilt and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Dream vs. Tempo Prediction, Preview
Toronto’s loss to Washington had to be a real concern for Sandy Brondello. We know what the Tempo are at this point in their inaugural season — they can score the ball, but their defense is terrible. Well, that wasn’t the case on Tuesday, when Toronto was held to only 62 points in its defeat. It was the Tempo’s lowest offensive output of 2026, and it was the first time that the squad was held below 70 points since the franchise’s first ever game. Ironically, that was also against the Mystics.
All-Star Marina Mabrey had an uncharacteristically poor shooting performance in the loss, going 3-for-13 (.231) from the field and being held to single-digit points (8). Mabrey had dropped at least 30 points in her two prior starts. Still, this can be the result of an offense that’s now solely dependent on the 29-year-old. Brittney Sykes (foot) is averaging 20.1 points per contest, yet the guard hasn’t seen the floor in a month. Super rookie Kiki Rice (ankle) might not even play again this season after suffering a grade three ankle sprain back in early June.
You know who isn’t going to struggle to score the basketball tonight? The Dream. Atlanta only ranks seventh in the WNBA in offensive rating (108.7) — right behind the Tempo in sixth — but Toronto ranks dead-last in defensive rating (113.6). This should be a case where the Dream rise to their opponent, much like we saw the first two times these squads have met in 2026. Atlanta won both those contests, averaging 98.0 points per game in the process.
Angel Reese should also be able to take advantage of a Toronto roster that lacks real size on the interior. Reese comes into this contest riding a hot streak, with four straight double-doubles to her name. It’s a span of time where Reese is producing 17.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per start. Expect big things from Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard on the scoreboard, as well. The duo lead the Dream in scoring this season, each averaging over 18.0 points per game. Atlanta has a very balanced attack.
Dream vs. Tempo Pick, Best Bet
Best Bet: Dream -9.5 (-105)
Atlanta isn’t playing its best basketball as of late, but it’s clear that it is significantly better than this beat-up Toronto team. Not only have the Dream beaten the Tempo in both prior matchups, but Toronto ranks dead-last in net rating over the past five games (-12.7).
