TORONTO — Marina Mabrey matched the WNBA scoring record with 53 points to help the Toronto Tempo rout the Los Angeles Sparks 125-97 on Thursday night.
Mabrey tied the mark set by Liz Cambage for Dallas on July 17, 2018, and matched by A’ja Wilson for Las Vegas on Aug. 22, 2023.
Mabrey said she was unaware of the scoring record until sister Michaela Mabrey, sitting on the sideline, told her she was three points away.
“There’s no stat board in our gym,” Mabrey said. “After you get into a state like that, it’s hard to know what you’re really doing, but my teammates made it known, so I knew I was doing something good.”
When she checked out with a minute remaining, fans briefly booed before erupting into cheers in acknowledgement of her big night. The clock ticked down to zero with chants of “We want Mabrey! We want Mabrey!”
“She wanted to come out,” Tempo coach Sandy Brondello said. “I said ’No, no you’ve got to stay in for this record.’”
Mabrey did as the coach said, firing up two more 3-pointers, which both missed. Then, it was time.
“She was done. She goes, ‘I’m out,’” Brondello said.
Mabrey was 17 of 28 from the field, tied the WNBA record for 3-pointers with nine in 18 attempts and made 10 of 12 free throws.
“Tonight was just my night from the 3-point line — and from honestly everywhere,” Mabrey said, laughing. “And then the fans, to end up chanting MVP, I don’t know that I ever imagined that. But it was really a good feeling.”
The 29-year-old former Notre Dame star shattered the expansion team’s previous high of 38 points, done twice by Brittney Sykes.
“I’ve been doing this for quite some time,” Brondello said. “I’ve never seen that. (Not even from) Diana Taurasi, and she could shoot it really well. I mean, to witness that was amazing.”
Mabrey, who played for the Chicago Sky for 24 games in 2024, also had six rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes.
Julie Allemand added 13 points and 14 assists for the Tempo in the highest-score game in the team’s short history.
“Julie literally throws the ball right to my pocket, it’s actually wild,” Mabrey said.
Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby led the Sparks with 21 points apiece.
The Tempo climbed back to .500 at 9-9, and the Sparks fell to 8-9.
