Marina Mabrey played the game of her life in the Toronto Tempo’s 125-97 home win over the Los Angeles Sparks Thursday night at Coca-Cola Coliseum. She etched her name in the record books, matching the WNBA’s single-game scoring record with 53 points while hitting a record-tying 9 3-pointers.
Mabrey’s special night sparked a wave of praise from the WNBA community, who were thrilled by the 6-foot-1 guard’s field day against the team that drafted her in the second round of the 2019 WNBA Draft.
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WNBA World Ecstatic Over Marina Mabrey’s Record-Tying Performance vs. Sparks
Mabrey, who previously played for the Sparks, Dallas Wings, Chicago Sky, and Connecticut Sun before signing a multi-year deal with the expansion Tempo in April, torched her former team,shooting 17-for-28 from the field, including 9-for-18 from beyond the arc, and 10-for-12 from the free-throw line.
The scoring masterpiece matched the historic scoring mark set by the Wings’ Liz Cambage on July 17, 2018, and by the Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson on August 22, 2023.
Mabrey’s record-tying 9 3-pointers came two games after she erupted for the same number of triples in a 101-97 road win over Connecticut. Her second 9 3-pointer outing this season put her in the same company as the Atlanta Dream’s Rhyne Howard, who made 9 3s twice last season.
The WNBA community hailed Mabrey’s fiery performance, making her one of the top trending topics on X. Hoop Central was in awe, posting a three-word statement to underscore her big night.
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“What a performance,” the outlet wrote.
Legion Hoops also reacted to Mabrey’s torrid shooting night, calling her scoring feat “insane.”
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ESPN’s Sam Block lauded the ex-Notre Dame standout’s continued offensive surge.
“Marina Mabrey cooked the Sun. Marina Mabrey cooked the Dream. Marina Mabrey is cooking the Sparks. Just so underrated. Her game is straight-up nasty,” Block wrote.
Dream star forward Angel Reese also celebrated her former teammate and close friend’s big offensive night, hinting at an invitation for Mabrey to ride with her in her brand-new custom Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
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“Yeah, I guess Marina deserves a ride in the RR,” Reese quipped.
Former NBA guard Darren Collison dubbed Mabrey’s performance “unbelievable.”
StatMuse also tweeted about Mabrey’s offensive explosion, noting that she is the fourth player to score 50 or more points in a WNBA game, joining Riquna Williams (51 in September 2013) and the aforementioned Wilson and Cambage.
Mabrey caught fire early, dropping a franchise-record 19 points in the first quarter. She did not stop there, scoring 8 more in the second and 12 in the third, amassing 39 points heading into the fourth quarter.
She later had a chance to surpass 53 points, but misfired on her final two 3-point attempts before subbing out with 1:04 remaining, prompting a standing ovation from the Toronto crowd.
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Mabrey shattered the expansion team’s previous franchise record of 38 points, set twice by Brittney Sykes, and helped the Tempo improve to 9-9 overall and 5-3 at home.
