The Las Vegas Aces ended Toronto Tempo’s hopes of securing a playoff spot in their debut year as a WNBA franchise, handing them an 88-78 loss on Sunday. However, with seven regular-season games still left in their schedule, making roster adjustments just got more difficult as the team has temporarily suspended veteran guard Julie Allemand’s contract. However, the ‘suspension’ didn’t come for the common disciplinary reasons you may be thinking about.
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“For players going to the FIBA World Cup, WNBA teams will temporarily suspend their contracts for the time they are away. Today, the Tempo have suspended Julie Allemand’s contract meaning she has left to go join her Belgian team.” TSN’s Toronto Tempo beat reporter Chelsea Leite wrote on X.
The reason the Tempo suspended Allemand’s contract as she links up with the Belgian squad a week before the World Cup starts is because of a technicality. By suspending Allemand’s contract instead of waiving or cutting her enabled the Tempo to retain her rights and immediately reactivate the contract when she returns to the WNBA.
This is Tempo’s third FIBA World Cup, and she has represented her nation in the 2018 and 2022 editions, helping her nation finish fourth and fifth, respectively. The FIBA World Cup starts on September 4 and will run through September 13. The WNBA will officially pause for the World Cup from August 31 to September 17, but Allemand will miss three of the Tempo’s games before that.
Allemand has become a key player for the expansion team, averaging 6.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.4 steals in 28.7 minutes of playing time per game. Her criticality for the Tempo squad can be gauged from the fact that she has started 27 of the 29 games and leads the team in assists and steals per game.
Toronto Tempo’s inaugural season has been a mixed bag. With an 11-26 record for the season, the Tempo went through a 12-game skid before finally winning against the Portland Fire on Friday, August 21.
Injuries to key players have played their part in this poor run of results as well. Brittney Sykes is once again out due to a foot injury, and Aneesah Morrow faces a knee issue. Sykes has already missed 18 games this season and is sidelined for the remainder of the 2026 season.
Marina Mabrey, who has been the silver lining for the Tempo this season through her fine scoring form, is out due to an adductor issue, and Maria Conde is also not available due to a calf issue. Isabelle Harrison and Nyara Sabally have also missed significant game time this season.
To cope with all these injuries and absences, the Tempo announced on Monday that they have signed guard Kiana Williams.
“We have signed Kiana Williams to a 7-day extreme hardship contract. Welcome to the Tempo, Kiana!”
Williams has previously featured for multiple teams in the W and has made 59 appearances spread across teams like the Seattle Storm, Connecticut Sun, Phoenix Mercury, and Los Angeles Sparks.
Her latest stint was with the Sparks, where she averaged 3.2 points and 1.6 assists in 11.2 minutes of playing time in 13 appearances. She brings much-needed coverage for the Tempo in a position that they have needed help for weeks.
To add to the misery, one of Tempo’s key players faces disciplinary action for her play in a previous game.
Amid Roster Troubles, Toronto Tempo Forward Faces WNBA Punishment
The Tempo lost against the Aces after a lone win, but the game saw no shortage of action as both teams tried to get one over each other. A notable highlight of the game was produced when the Tempo’s Isabelle Harrison was involved in a heated play with the Aces’ Mai Yamamoto.
With around 7:09 left on the clock in the second quarter, Tempo forward Isabelle Harrison attempted to receive a pass inside the paint. However, the ball was intercepted by Yamamoto. Harrison was then seen grappling with the Aces player and ultimately shoved her away, even after the foul was called against her.
The players from both teams were then involved in a brief altercation, and Chelsea Gray stood up for Yamato as she approached Harrison and gave a light shove of her own and had a charged exchange before a sideline official stepped in to prevent the situation from getting out of control.
Harrison now faces a fine after getting her first technical of the season, which leads to her having to pay a $500 fine. League rules mandate that the first three technical fouls warrant $500 fines, while $1,000 fines are applicable for the player’s fourth through seventh techs. If an eighth technical foul is added, the player will be required to pay a $1,500 fine. They will also be required to endure a one-game suspension.
The team cannot afford to lose Harrison as well. She is the team’s fifth-highest scorer, averaging 12 points per game. With Mabrey and Sykes both out, Harrison’s impact becomes more important to the Tempo’s offense.
Despite being out of playoff contention, the Toronto Tempo still have seven games left in the season. These games could prove crucial as they continue to implement adjustments to their strategy and playstyle to finish the season on a positive note.
However, the immediate road ahead without Allemand will be a tough one as the Tempo head out to play three games on the road, starting with the Seattle Storm, before taking on the Las Vegas Aces and the Phoenix Mercury.