TORONTO — Brittney Sykes tied a career high with 38 points, leading the expansion Toronto Tempo to a 106-102 overtime win against the last-place Connecticut Sun on Wednesday.
Trailing by as many as 14 points in the second quarter, Sykes led her team to the winner’s circle with a difference-making layup with 42 seconds remaining in the extra period.
A career-high 24 points from Aaliyah Edwards, of Kingston, Ont., and Leila Lacau led the Sun (2-12) in their fourth straight loss.
The Tempo (7-5) won for the fourth time in five outings.
Sykes’ scoring included three three-pointers and a perfect 13 for 13 from the free-throw line. She knocked down four free throws in the final 79 seconds to make sure the Tempo pushed the game into overtime.
Marina Mabrey also made three four-pointers and totalled 21 points. Laura Juskaite chipped in 19.
Edwards arrived in Toronto for her first WNBA game in Canada, having scored a season-high 15 points on Monday and bettered her production in front of friends and family at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Suns guard Saniya Rivers also enjoyed a strong game with 12 points.
The visitors led 31-30 after the first quarter and increased their advantage to 55-42 at halftime. Mabrey and Sykes were hot from beyond the three-point arc to bring the Tempo to within 79-72 after three quarters.
Takeaways
Tempo: Guard Kiki Rice missed the game with a left ankle injury. Rice, the sixth overall pick in the draft, helped UCLA win an NCAA championship last spring.
Suns: Three-time United States Olympic gold medallist Becky Griner, 35, missed her second straight game with a rib strain.
Key moment
After the Tempo moved to within two points midway through the fourth quarter with a Sykes three-pointer, Edwards nailed back-to-back field goals to put the Suns in front by five points with 6:23 remaining.
Key stat
The Tempo improved to 4-2 at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Up next
Tempo: Visit the Washington Mystics on Friday.
Sun: Return home to play the Indiana Fever on Saturday.
