Toronto Tempo Land First WNBA Million-Dollar Backcourt Pairing With Marina Mabrey, Brittney Sykes

Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes have agreed to two-year deals with the Toronto Tempo, according to ESPN. The Tempo front office has come out aggressively in WNBA free agency, unlike how the Golden State Valkyries operated last season as an expansion franchise, with a backcourt commitment like this — two max contracts, two guards, both worth seven figures annually under the new CBA.

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Estimates put each deal at $1,190,000 in Year 1 and $1,249,500 in Year 2, about $2,439,500 over the life of the contract. Those numbers are built on 5% raises under the new CBA, with Year 1 at the max for both players. Toronto is looking at roughly $2,380,000 in commitments for two backcourt spots in Year 1 alone.

Breaking: The Toronto Tempo have agreed to terms with guards Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes, per their agent Marcus Crenshaw of The FAM Sports Agency

With each agreeing to two-year max contracts, they are the first known million dollar backcourt pairing. Big splash for Toronto pic.twitter.com/XHWMziQUpO

— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) April 10, 2026

Going into WNBA free agency, the Tempo had roughly $3,649,457 in salary already committed — Lexi Held and Nikolina Milić among those on the books — with about $3,350,543 in cap space remaining. Six to eight roster spots remain open, along with two development positions. Toronto’s 2026 draft board includes four selections: sixth overall, 22nd, 26th — acquired from New York — and 36th in the third round, a haul secured after the Tempo won a coin toss and opted for the sixth pick over first overall. That pick comes with a $355,058 Year 1 salary.

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Tempo to Build Around Mabrey, Sykes

Toronto took Mabrey, 29, in last week’s expansion draft and named her a core player — the franchise’s one designated free agent protection — before the market opened. A Notre Dame product, Mabrey went in the second round to Los Angeles in 2019, then made stops in Dallas and Chicago before the Sky dealt her to Connecticut in 2024.

She asked out of Connecticut before 2025. Connecticut denied it. She stayed, played 35 games, averaged 14.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists, and went for 20 or more nine times before the expansion draft moved her along. Somewhere in there, she also crossed 1,000 career field goals, 800 rebounds, 700 assists, and 200 steals.

Marina Mabrey put Lexie Hull on skates.pic.twitter.com/EwpFTG2IHa

— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) August 17, 2025

Sykes is Toronto’s first open-market signing. She started 2025 in Washington, got dealt to Seattle at the trade deadline, and ended the year as a first-time All-Star. The 5-foot-9 guard posted 14.1 points, 4.0 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game and continued building on a defensive reputation accumulated across nearly a decade in the league. A four-time All-Defensive Team selection, Sykes was the seventh overall pick out of Syracuse in 2017 and has had stints with Atlanta, Los Angeles, Washington, and Seattle before signing with Toronto.

The Tempo now has its backcourt locked up for two years, draft picks at four spots in 2026, and enough cap flexibility to continue adding through the remainder of free agency.