Marina Mabrey continues to knock down milestones and achievements while keeping the Toronto Tempo afloat. On the back of the Tempo’s 125-97 win over the Los Angeles Sparks, Mabrey tied one of the rarest achievements in WNBA history. The guard exploded for a career-high 53 points, matching the highest single-game scoring mark in the league history.
The only two other players to achieve the feat were Liz Cambage, who hit the milestone during the 2018 season, and A’ja Wilson in the 2023 season.
“I’ve never seen anything like that, even with Diana Taurasi,” Toronto coach Sandy Brondello said of her performance.
This is the second time Brondello compared Mabrey’s performance to the legendary Taurasi. Last week, when Mabrey scored a then-career-high 37 points in the Tempo’s 101-97 win over the Connecticut Sun, Brondello said,
The former Notre Dame star also tied the WNBA record for 3-pointers with nine in 18 attempts. She was 17-of-28 from the field, made 10-of-12 free throws, and checked out to a standing ovation with just over a minute to play in the game.
Mabrey, whom the Tempo selected in free agency on a max contract, has been a scoring machine this season. The 29-year-old averages a career-high 19.4 points, 3.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds through 17 games.
Marina Mabrey Reflects on Career Turnaround After Making WNBA History With Expansion Team
Marina Mabrey delivered an emphatic reminder that bounce back seasons are very much a thing in the WNBA. Her ability to jump right into an expansion team and play with confidence will go a long way as she starts to build a case for her first career All-Star selection.
Talking about the journey, Mabrey said,
“I think it just has, honestly, so many meanings for me, especially dating back to last season. I think I had one of my worst seasons. And I kind of just, I didn’t sulk about it. I just went back to the drawing board, went back to working really hard AT Unrivaled, and being a lot more intentional about what I was doing.”
There are several reasons why the Tempo, being an expansion team, is playing this well, and Mabrey is undoubtedly one of them. Mabrey has turned into a veteran with the Tempo, now playing in her 9th season in the league, but she has always made sure to be a true leader in every aspect for the team.
“Obviously, people don’t have super high expectations for us, but we know what we’re capable of in that locker room, and I want to be able to instill confidence in my entire team. And when I’m making shots like that, I mean, I think it’s really inspiring to the rest of my teammates and vice versa.”
This win marked the first of their season-long nine-game homestand. Can they keep stacking wins? It’s hard to see why they couldn’t, especially as the legend of Mabrey continues to grow in Toronto.
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