The WNBA is having a Marina Mabrey moment

When the WNBA playoffs started, the buzz was all about Caitlin Clark. How would she fare? Would she continue to score, make amazing passes and set records, or would her inexperience start to show in a playoff environment?

Those are all great questions, and we got some appropriate answers. But in many ways we were asking those questions about the wrong player. Marina Mabrey is one of the biggest stories of the playoffs so far, and she’s doing a star turn for the Connecticut Sun that has the entire league talking.

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Marina Mabrey continued her three-point barrage against the Minnesota Lynx

The star of the show in Minnesota’s opener against the Sun was supposed to be Napheesa Collier, and she was certainly solid enough. Collier didn’t break the 20-point mark the way she consistently did during the season, nor did she get into double digits in the rebound column. She didn’t deliver the superstar numbers we were all expecting, but the Sun have the best defense in the league, so this wasn’t exactly a total shock.

What was shocking was the three-point shooting of Mabrey. She continued the remarkable run she started against the Fever, adding another half-dozen from long range to help power the Connecticut offense.

The result was a 73-70 road win, and now the Lynx are in genuine trouble. Mabrey aside, the Sun won this game with their usual balanced scoring, and Alyssa Thomas got within a single assist of a triple-double. Mabrey was 6 for 10 from beyond the arc, and the Lynx had no answers when it came to stopping her from long range.

The odds favor Minnesota countering tonight to send the series back to Connecticut, but nothing should be ruled out given the way Mabrey is shooting. The Lynx are back on their heels right now, and they absolutely need to find a way to even this series.

Mabrey’s WNBA journey has come with several stops

Mabrey's journey has been very different form Clark's record-breaking season. Clark ran the Fever offense the vast majority of the time, but Mabrey’s specialty is shooting and providing floor spacing, and she’s found the perfect home in Connecticut.

Moreover, she’s elevating her game at exactly the right time. Mabrey averaged just over 14 points a game to go with 4.1 assists during the regular season, but her postseason numbers have her at a little over 21 a game, and she’s shooting an astounding 42.4 percent from beyond the arc.

Mabrey’s back story makes her sudden rise seem even more improbable. She’s been in the league since 2019, when she was drafted out of Notre Dame in the second round by the Los Angeles Sparks. After that she was traded to Dallas for a second-round pick, and in 2023 the Chicago Sky acquired her as part of a four-team deal that included the New York Liberty, the Phoenix Mercury and the Wings.

Her game is based on movement

But being on a well-coached team like the Sun that prioritizes defense seems to have transformed Mabrey. She doesn't have Clark's speed or handle, but she knows if she moves without the ball and gets to her spots she’ll get open looks. Mabrey has taken a good part of the scoring load off the shoulders of Dewanna Bonner, who’s 37, and her knack for spacing has made it easier for DeJonai Carrington and Thomas to operate around the perimeter and inside.

Mabrey has added to her game, too. Based on the confidence she’s gained from being an integral part of Connecticut’s winning formula, Mabrey has expanded her range, to the point where she’s taking and making occasional 30-footers without hesitating. She’s also learned when to back off and simply be part of the Sun’s offense, though, as her high shooting percentages indicate.

Marina Mabrey was expected to simply be a role player in this series, but right now she’s opening a lot of eyes. If she continues to do that, she’ll have a chance to show off her game in the WNBA finals, unless the Lynx can find a way to get Collier going and control Mabrey’s long-range barrage.

This article was originally written by Bob McCullough