North Carolina forward Maria Gakdeng (5) an Duke guard Jadyn Donovan (4) battle under the basket during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

By The Canadian Press

Toronto Tempo sign centres Kamila Borkowska, Maria Gakdeng to developmental deals

Sep 19, 2026 | 11:33 AM

TORONTO — The Toronto Tempo signed six-foot-seven Kamila Borkowska and six-foot-three Maria Gakdeng to developmental contracts on Saturday to shore up their depth at centre for next season.

A member of the Polish senior national team since 2020, Borkowska averaged 12 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.3 steals across six games at the 2025-26 European Championships.

Gakdeng helped South Sudan earn a bronze medal at the 2025 AfroBasket tournament, the first team sport medal in the country’s history for men or women. Across five games during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, she averaged 11 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, a steal and 0.4 assists per game.

Borkowska is set to play with Valencia Basket in Spain’s Liga Femenina Endesa and EuroLeague Women during the 2026-27 WNBA off-season.

Gakdeng is set to play for Celta Baloncesto Femenino in Spain’s first division during the WNBA off-season. She previously signed a training camp contract with the Atlanta Dream in 2025.

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Borkowska spent the 2025-26 club season with AZS UMCS Lublin in Poland, averaging 10.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 blocks across 23 games.

She helped advance the team to the EuroCup quarterfinals. The Polish-born centre has extensive experience in European competition, including appearances in both EuroCup and EuroLeague Women.

Gakdeng began her professional club career with KSC Szekszárd in Hungary in 2025. She averaged 13.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, an assist and 0.7 steals across 22 Hungarian League games, recording season highs of 32 points, 20 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals. She also averaged 9.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, 0.8 assists and 0.3 steals across four EuroCup appearances.

In 2026, Gakdeng played for the Greensboro Grove of the UpShot League, averaging 5.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, 0.9 assists, and 0.9 steals across seven games.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Toronto Tempo sign centres Kamila Borkowska, Maria Gakdeng to developmental deals

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