On July 17, the Connecticut Sun traded for Marina Mabrey, receiving her from the Chicago Sky in exchange for Rachel Banham, Moriah Jefferson and a future second-round pick.
Nearly one month later, the Sun finally got to see how Mabrey—acquired for her abilities as a shooter, isolation scorer and playmaker—would amplify Connecticut’s existing core in their chase for the franchise’s first championship. As general manager Darius Taylor said upon Mabrey’s arrival:
We are extremely excited to welcome Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Sun. She is a player that we feel will give us the extra edge to compete for a championship this year. She brings a competitive spirit and scorer’s mentality along with an ability to make big plays. I believe Stephanie and her staff will be able to utilize Marina in many ways as we start the second half of our season and continue our quest for our first title.
So, five games in, how is the Mabrey era working out for the Sun?
Uneven experimentation with the Sun’s new top six
Mabrey’s Connecticut debut, which came against one of her former teams in the Dallas Wings, nearly flawlessly fulfilled the team’s vision. She scored an efficient 17 points as a starter, highlighted by a 3-for-5 effort from 3. She also added four assists as the Sun poured in a season-high 109 points.
Subsequent games, however, suggested Mabrey’s integration would not be as seamless. Due to DiJonai Carrington missing the Dallas game, head coach Stephanie White could go with the a clear first five, starting Mabrey alongside Ty Harris, DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas and Brionna Jones. The return of Carrington, the team’s best perimeter defender who has a case as the league’s Most Improved Player, sent Harris to the bench for the Sun’s second post-break game against the Atlanta Dream. It was an inauspicious start, with White soon sending Harris, the team’s traditional point guard, into the game for Bonner.
Mabrey also introduced Sun fans to the other side of the Mabrey experience. As a streaky shooter who is unafraid to keep firing away, inefficient outings are part of the Mabrey package; she can shoot you into games, but, when the shot is not falling, she can keep you out of them. In Atlanta, she was 4-for-17 overall and 2-for-10 from 3, scoring 11 points in a team-high 36 minutes as Connecticut, after comfortably crossing the century mark in Dallas, managed just 70 points, tied for their fourth-lowest output of the season, in the loss.
Ahead of the Sun’s highly-anticipated game at TD Garden in Boston, DeWanna Bonner volunteered to come off the bench, an indication that the players recognized that different combinations were needed to optimize everyone’s talents. Although much pomp and circumstance surrounded the Sun’s victory over the Los Angeles Sparks, offense—the side of the ball that Mabrey’s addition was supposed to improve—again was an issue for Connecticut, as they scored just 69 points against a team that’s not exactly focused on winning every game. Mabrey played 25 minutes, scoring five points on just six shot attempts.
The Sun’s super sixth player
The Sun’s lineup shuffling thus continued, with Mabrey slotted into the sixth player role in her first game against the Sky. Whether it was the role, revenge or something else, Mabrey turned in the kind of performance Sun faithful hope to see in the postseason. She scored a season-high 24 points in 25 minutes, including going 5-for-7 from behind the arc. In the two-point win, the Sun outscored the Sky by a team-best 10 points when Mabrey was on the floor.
The next night, White stuck with the same rotation, bringing Mabrey off the bench against the league-leading New York Liberty, a team Connecticut had not defeated since July 2022. Despite being on a back-to-back, the Sun broke the streak of seven-straight losses, with Mabrey again playing a critical role. Her 15 points led the team, with the Sun outpacing the Liberty by a team-leading 18 points during her 26 minutes.
That Connecticut is winning Mabrey’s minutes is the surest sign that she is having the desired impact, with her dynamic offensive play buoying the Sun’s attack. On the other end of the floor, she has fit within Connecticut’s league-best defense. Although not renowned for her defensive chops, she brings irritating aggressiveness with a side of snarl and sass, traits that certainly are part of the Sun’s defensive ethos.
While a five-game sample size is small, how the Sun have tinkered with their rotations during Mabrey’s tenure before seemingly finding the right mix is encouraging, Things should only improve as she further acclimates to the sixth player role, in addition to continuing to build chemistry with her teammates. Quite possibly, Mabrey’s arrival in Uncasville could become one of the more impactful in-season trades in WNBA history.
