With career-high 37, Mabrey and Toronto hand Sun seventh straight loss

In July 2024, the Connecticut Sun traded two guards (Rachel Banham and Moriah Jefferson) along with a No. 1 draft pick in the 2025 WNBA draft to Chicago for Marina Mabrey, looking for a shooting guard to help the Sun with Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones make one last run at a WNBA championship.

On Friday night, the Sun saw Mabrey’s talent on full display.

Unfortunately for Connecticut, Mabrey is now wearing the uniform of the expansion Toronto Tempo, who erased a 15-point deficit in the final seven minutes to hand the Sun their seventh straight loss with a 101-97 win over the Mohegan Sun Arena before 7,078 fans.

Mabrey, who was selected by Toronto in the expansion draft earlier this year, had a career-high 37 points, including 21 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Tempo (8-8). Mabrey scored 21 of her 37 in the fourth quarter and tied a WNBA record with nine 3-point shots.

“She is such a competitor. She wants to win,” Toronto coach Sandy Brondello said. “She is one of the best pure shooters I have seen and I have coached some pretty amazing ones. It looked like I was watching Diana Taurasi out there.”

Nine days ago, Brittney Sykes had a career-high 38 points, including 10 in overtime, in Toronto’s victory in overtime. Toronto overcame a 14-point Sun lead in that victory.

But Sykes was hurt on Tuesday night in a loss against Washington and did not play on Friday.

Mabrey got help from Maria Conde and Temi Fagbente who each scored 19 points. Isabella Harrison scored 15 points as the Tempo hit 19-of-34 shots from three-point range.

“The defense is out there to stop me so I have to look for pockets when they relax and that is when I attack,” Mabrey said. “It is just being ready when they relax.”

Connecticut (2-15) led by 16 points in the second quarter and had a 15-point lead with 7:01 remaining in the game after Kennedy Burke hit a three-point shot from 25-feet away.

But Toronto went on a 26-7 run over the next six minutes to seize control of the game. The Sun, the worst three-point shooting team in the league, made just three of-their final 11 shots from the floor. Four of those 11 shots were from three-point range and all four didn’t fall through the net.

Burke scored 18 points off the bench for Connecticut while Lelia Lecan and Brittney Griner each had 16 points. Olivia Nelson-Ododa added 13 points, connecting on 6-of-9 shots from the floor.

“I feel like once we get that defensive part down pat then the offense just comes easy for us,” Burke said. “It’s tough, like you said, but we just have to move on within the next game.”

Burke gave the Sun a 15-point lead with a three-pointer with 7:01 remaining but they couldn’t stop Mabrey, who hit back-to-back three-pointers for Toronto to cut the lead to nine.

Annesh Morrow had a layup to push the lead back to 11 but Mabrey found Temi Fagbenle cutting to the basket to cut the lead to nine. Mabrey hit a 28-foot three-point shot to trim the lead to six with 5:23 remaining to trim the Sun lead to six.

The Sun turned the ball over and Fagbenle hit a 14-foot jumper. Connecticut missed their next shot, Fagbenle pulled down the rebound and hit a three-point shot to cut the lead to one, 88-87 with 4:17 remaining and the sprint to the finish was on.

Aaliyah Edwards gave the Sun their final lead after hitting two free throws with 2:41 remaining but Conde responded with a three-point shot for Toronto and a 94-92 lead.

Griner hit one of two free throws with 1:17 left to cut the Toronto lead to one but Mabrey hit her ninth three-pointer of the game with 1:03 to boost the lead back to four.

The 19 three-point shots allowed by Connecticut tied a team record. The Sun also gave up 19 three-point shots in a loss to the Liberty last season.

The Sun try to get a victory when they face Chicago on Monday night in Uncasville.

Toronto 101, Connecticut 97
At Uncasville
Toronto (101) Harrison 5-14 3-3 15, Juskaite 2-7 0-0 4, Fagbenle 8-9 1-2 10, Mabrey 14-24 0-0 37, Julie Allemand 2-5 0-0 4, Conde 5-12 4-4 19, Key 0-0 0-0 0, Nurse 0-3 0-0 0, Pouye 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 37-76 8-9
Connecticut (97) Edwards 2-5 2-2 6, Miller 4-10 1-2 10, Griner 7-11 2-3 16, Rivers 1-4 0-0 3, Lacan 5-16 4-5 16, Morrow 3-9 2-2 8, Angloma 0-0 0-0 0, Nelson Ododa 6-9 1-2 13, Burke 5-9 2-5 18, Leger-Walker 2-3 3-4 7. Totals 35-76, 21-26
Toronto (8-8)                    20  17  27  37  — 101
Connecticut (2-15)            24  26  24  23  — 97
Three-point goals: Toronto 19-34 (Harrison 2-3, Fagbenle 2-2, Mabrey9-12, Allemand 0-3, Conde 5-8, Nurse 0-3, Pouye 1-2); Connecticut 6-22 (Miller 1-3, Rivers 1-3, Lacan 2-8, Morrow -3, Burke 2-5)