By: Jennifer Portee
5/20/2026
Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey took it there in the fourth quarter, combining for 61 points and making sure Toronto walked out of Phoenix with a 98-90 win. When it got tight, they didn’t flinch they took over.
For three quarters, it felt like anybody’s game. Phoenix stayed right there, matching runs, keeping the pressure on, not letting Toronto get too comfortable. But once the fourth hit, the Tempo kicked it up when it mattered most and the Mercury couldn’t keep up.
It started with a 12-4 run, and suddenly Toronto had control of the night. Sykes was attacking like she had somewhere to be, getting downhill and finishing through traffic. Mabrey? She was letting it fly, and every shot felt bigger than the last.
And the difference showed up where it usually does beyond the arc.
Toronto was knocking them down from deep all night, finishing with 15 threes. Phoenix couldn’t buy one in comparison, and that gap kept stretching the game further out of reach.
Still, the Mercury had chances. Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas kept them within comeback distance, and every time it looked like things might go back their way, Toronto answered right away.
Then came the moment that sealed it.
Mabrey slid to the corner, caught it clean, and buried her sixth three of the night with just over a minute left. No hesitation, no doubt that was the dagger.
Sykes finished with 31, playing with that same aggressiveness she’s been carrying all week. Mabrey matched her energy with 30 of her own, spacing the floor and making Phoenix pay every time they lost track of her.
Toronto didn’t just win this game they stayed composed when it mattered and made the plays that close games out.
And when your two guards are playing like that? Most nights, that’s more than enough.