Center Nyara Sabally scored a career-high 29 points as the Toronto Tempo defeated the Chicago Sky 111-104 on Wednesday night at Wintrust Arena.
The win evened Toronto's season record at 4-4 and marked a road victory despite missing key players.
The Tempo shot 56 percent from the field and built a 55-48 halftime lead by out-rebounding Chicago 21-10.
After the Sky trimmed the deficit to 98-96, Toronto executed an 8-2 run in the final minutes to secure the win.
Sabally went 11-of-14 from the floor, surpassing her previous career-high of 16 points, and added six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks.
"This is really not surprising to me," said teammate Marina Mabrey. "She's a really good player and can read the game really well and super smart.
I love playing with her."
Mabrey contributed 24 points and seven assists, shooting 69.2 percent from the field, including a crucial step-back jumper late in the game.
Head coach Sandy Brondello praised Sabally, who was selected by Toronto in the expansion draft.
"She is an important player for us," Brondello said.
"She put so much work into it, she's faced so much adversity, so when great things like this happen, it's pretty special."
Brondello noted that the front office had long-standing confidence in the German center, dating back to when she was part of the New York Liberty management that drafted Sabally fifth overall in 2022.
"She's a very humble player, and I love that about her," Brondello added. "She just wants to win.
It's great when good people show what they can do."
The coach highlighted Sabally's current health and confidence as key factors in her breakout performance.
When asked about the strategy to withstand Chicago's late surge, Brondello joked, "Score."
Mabrey elaborated on the tactical adjustments: "I think we just did a good job keeping the ball in the middle of the court, trying to hunt out those matches, and then spacing so we could get to our spots."
Brondello also commended Mabrey's playmaking: "She makes all these threes, but it's how she creates for her teammates too.
She's a really good passer, and we want to continue to put her into the actions."
Rookie Kiki Rice started her seventh consecutive game in place of injured point guard Julie Allemand, recording 14 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
"She's just tough-minded, takes any challenge on," Brondello said of Rice. "She just never backs down.
Stays confident, learns quickly, and embraces every challenge."
Brittney Sykes scored 20 points and Maria Conde added 12 off the bench for Toronto.
Rookie Sydney Taylor led Chicago with 27 points, while Skylar Diggins added 23 points and nine assists.
The Chicago Sky wrap up their four-game homestand against Minnesota on Friday, while the Toronto Tempo return home to host the Seattle Storm on Saturday.
