WNBA stars Marina Mabrey and DiJonai Carrington become teammates after bitter history of trash talk

A couple months ago, WNBA stars Marina Mabrey and DiJonai Carrington were on opposite sides of a tense bit of in-game trash talking . After Wednesday's trade between the Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun , they're now teammates.

Chicago sent Mabrey to Connecticut in a deal focused on bringing long-term assets back to the Windy City. Meanwhile, Connecticut views Mabrey as a difference maker in its push for a WNBA title. She'll need to put aside her differences with Carrington, the Sun guard who is a frontrunner for Most Improved Player.

During a showdown this past May, TV cameras appeared to show Mabrey telling Carrington to "shut the ---- up." They go back further than that, though, as even when Mabrey was a member of the Dallas Wings, she got into it with Carrington during the 2022 WNBA Playoffs.

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Right in front of NBA star Ja Morant, who watched the 2022 clash from a front-row seat, Mabrey and Carrington exchanged harsh language in a clip that went viral at the time.

But Carrington and Mabrey are likely to bury any bad blood amid a postseason chase. In fact, their fiery on-court attitudes could make them close allies, with the players perhaps on the verge of discovering mutual respect for each other's passion.

The fact that both players came into the league as second-round picks without much national hype and fought their way to prominence could provide further common ground.

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Mabrey's move to Connecticut isn't the first time former rivals have united in the WNBA this year. At the 2024 WNBA Draft, the Sky used their pair of first-round picks on Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese, who engaged in bitter duels in college at South Carolina and LSU, respectively.

Reese appeared to yank Cardoso's hair during the 2024 SEC Tournament final and received an intentional foul call for whacking Cardoso in the face . Later in that infamous game, Cardoso shoved Flau'jae Johnson to the ground, sparking a massive fight.

Now, though, Cardoso and Reese are close friends on the Sky. They appeared in a sweet ad together as part of an advertisement campaign .

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The Sun will hope Mabrey and Carrington can develop a similar connection on the court for the remainder of the campaign. They hold an 18-6 record entering the All-Star break.

After trading Mabrey to Connecticut, the Sky released an appreciative statement thanking Mabrey for her time with the franchise. They wished her well on her next chapter.

“Marina has made a significant impact over the past two seasons with the Sky behind her scoring ability, playmaking, competitiveness and commitment to the community,” general manager Jeff Pagliocca said in a statement. “We appreciate all of her contributions to the organization and wish her continued success in the league.”