Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey earns first WNBA All-Star bid
Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey was named a WNBA All-Star reserve on Tuesday, earning her first All-Star selection eight years into a pro career that began as the 19th overall pick in 2019. The 29-year-old followed the announcement with 11 points, six rebounds and four assists in an 83-75 loss to Golden State on Wednesday. The milestone caps a path defined by team changes, second-round skepticism and a breakout scoring season for the Toronto guard.
Key Takeaways
- Marina Mabrey received her first WNBA All-Star reserve nod on Tuesday, ahead of the July 25 game in Chicago.
- She is averaging a career-best 21.1 points, plus 3.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.
- Mabrey was the 19th overall pick in 2019 and joined Toronto sixth overall in the expansion draft.
- Backcourt partner Brittney Sykes is sidelined with left plantar fascia, drawing extra traps on Mabrey.
- All-Star reserves were announced Tuesday afternoon, with a new draft format led by Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon.
Why does Marina Mabrey's first All-Star nod matter now?
For Mabrey, the honour closes an ambition she set as a teenager. "When I was in high school I was like, 'I want to be in the WNBA and I want to be a WNBA all-star,'" she told reporters before Wednesday's game. "I had no idea how hard it was, but it's OK, it was cute."
The milestone also lands during her strongest statistical stretch. Heading into Wednesday, she was averaging 21.1 points per game, a career high, along with improved numbers in assists, rebounds and steals. That production helped her break through on a night when the league named reserve selections, as Yahoo Sports reported alongside other All-Star announcements.
How did Marina Mabrey build a WNBA career from a second-round pick?
Longevity is the story Mabrey tells about herself. The six-foot-one shooting guard was selected 19th overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in the second round of the 2019 WNBA draft. She spent one season in L.A., then played for the Dallas Wings, Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun before Toronto took her sixth overall in the expansion draft.
In her own words, she was not supposed to still be in the league, let alone starting or starring. "I wasn't supposed to be on a team, wasn't supposed to be playing, wasn't supposed to be starting, I wasn't supposed to be an all-star," Mabrey said. She added that draft position and circumstances matter less than continued work, self-belief and occasional luck.
She credited parents Patti and Roy Mabrey, both competitive triathletes, with teaching habits around stretching, sleep, nutrition and time management that have helped her sustain elite play. For more on athletes crossing into mainstream spotlight moments, see our Celebrity Breaking News coverage.
What challenge is Toronto facing before the All-Star Game?
Mabrey's immediate concern is on-court, not ceremony. Backcourt partner Brittney Sykes has missed seven games and counting with left plantar fascia, and opposing defences have responded by trapping Mabrey more aggressively.
Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello said the staff is trying to move her off the ball and create pinch actions or isolations because open looks are scarce. "She passes really well. She's probably not going to get an open shot," Brondello said.
After Wednesday's loss to Golden State, Mabrey also pushed back on the physicality she faced from the Valkyries. "I think there's probably a difference between physicality and absolutely foulling," she said. "But I'll keep my money to myself." The WNBA All-Star Game is scheduled for July 25 in Chicago, Illinois, according to CP24.