Dallas Wings Set New WNBA Attendance Record in Montreal

Game Recap: Wings dominate Tempo

A sellout crowd of 20,996 fans jammed Montreal’s Bell Centre on Friday as the Dallas Wings toppled the Toronto Tempo 108‑95, establishing a fresh benchmark for WNBA regular‑season attendance. The game featured a balanced offensive showcase for Dallas, highlighted by Paige Bueckers’ 34‑point, six‑assist performance, and a 24‑point fourth‑quarter run that turned a looming deficit into a runaway win. The victory lifts Dallas to 15‑8 and keeps the Wings in the No. 4 playoff seed, while Toronto falls to 9‑13 and slips two games shy of the final postseason berth.

Turning Point in the Fourth Quarter

Dallas built the comeback after trailing 85‑84 following a third‑quarter three by Odyssey Sims, then outscored the Tempo 24‑10 in the final period. Alysha Clark contributed all ten of her points during the decisive ten‑minute stretch, anchoring a defensive surge that limited the Tempo to just ten points in the fourth. The Wings’ surge also saw Arike Ogunbowale add 20 points and seven assists, while Jessica Shepard posted a double‑double with 20 points and 17 rebounds.

Toronto’s Offensive Standoff

Toronto’s offensive effort was anchored by Marina Mabrey, who matched Bueckers with 34 points on a 6‑of‑9 clip from three‑point range and an perfect 8‑for‑8 at the line. Laura Juskaite added 25 points and Isabella Harrison chipped in 18 points and eight rebounds, yet the scoring could not offset the fourth‑quarter slump. The loss dropped the Tempo two games out of the WNBA’s final playoff spot, leaving them at 9‑13 heading into the weekend.

Attendance Milestone and Cross‑Canada Ambitions

The attendance figure of 20,996 not only eclipses the previous high of 20,711 set on September 19, 2024 at Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena, but it also marks the first time a regular‑season game draws over 20,000 fans outside the United States. The record‑breaking night underscores the growing appetite for women’s basketball in Canada and provides a blueprint for the Tempo’s cross‑country ambitions. The team will keep the momentum alive by hosting the New York Liberty in Montreal on Sunday and heading to Vancouver for two more regular‑season games later in August.

Resch’s Vision for Canadian Basketball

Tempo president Teresa Resch emphasized that the crowd’s energy went beyond a milestone. “Tonight was about so much more than breaking a record,” she said. “Seeing more than 20,000 fans come together in Montreal to set a new WNBA regular-season attendance record is a powerful statement about the future of women’s basketball in Canada. From day one, we’ve believed this team could unite fans across the country, and tonight they showed the world what’s possible.”