Marina Mabrey Takes Subtle Shot at Chicago Sky, Angel Reese

With the WNBA season over for everyone except the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty, one can’t help but wonder how the season would have played out for the Chicago Sky had they not traded away Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Sun for guards Rachel Banham and Moriah Jefferson plus a 2025 first-round pick and a 2026 first-round pick swap.

At the time of the trade, Mabrey was arguably Chicago’s best player, averaging 14 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game in 24 contests.

Mabrey requested to be traded in early July after being unhappy with her role and the position of the team — the Sky were was just 10-14 and no one knew whether or not they were a playoff squad — which ultimately worked out well for her as she made it to the semifinal round of the playoffs with Connecticut.

As she reflected on the mid-season trade during her recent exit interview, it appeared that Mabrey threw some shade at the Sky and star player Angel Reese, who was reported to be part of the reason Mabrey wanted to be traded in the first place.

“There's a level of discipline and a level of professionality here where the players just have to worry about playing basketball,” Mabrey said , via SB Nation’s Noa Dalzell. “…The players here are very experienced, and they want to keep a good environment, and they make sure that they hold people accountable for that.”

Of course, Mabrey also could have been referring to the three years she spent as part of the Dallas Wings before her stint with the Sky in which the former had a combined record of 40-50.

However, it’s much more plausible she’s referring to the downfall of the Sky and their second-half collapse that saw them finish 13-27 with a 3-3 record after the Olympic break. That’s directly after Mabrey was traded and around the time former head coach Teresa Weatherspoon started taking heat for running an offense that appeared to be designed around getting Reese her numbers.

While Mabrey’s remarks could have been nothing more than a tongue-in-cheek jab at her former team, it did seem pretty pointed given how the Sky’s season ended and Weatherspoon’s subsequent firing.

Related: Angel Reese, Chicago Sky One Step Closer To Major Improvement