Marina Mabrey Dedicates First Toronto Win to Excited Tempo Fans

8,142 people came to watch Toronto’s first home opener, and they were not disappointed. While the game finished 86-73, it was a back-and-forth contest throughout, as the Coca-Cola Coliseum gave the team a standing ovation.

Marina Mabrey connected 9-of-20 from the floor and 6-of-11 from beyond the arc, as the burgeoning fan base was behind her every step of the way. The fans seemed to enjoy the celebratory backward trot she does after hitting a big bucket.

Apart from their home opener, the 29-year-old also showed her class against the Washington Mystics in the Tempo franchise’s first official game.

Mabrey scored 27 points, 2 assists, and 7 rebounds on May 8. However, the Mystics took the win 68-65 on the backs of Sonia Citron’s 26-point outburst.

The Tempo now goes on four consecutive road games, starting with the first two at Crypto.com Arena against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Mabrey would be the most excited to show off her talents to the Sparks, who drafted her in 2019 as a mid-second-round pick, not knowing what was about to come.

Marina Mabrey’s road to the top

Marina Mabrey’s rookie year was not up to the mark, shooting 27.3 per cent from three and averaging four points.

The Sparks traded her to Dallas in 2020, where she reunited with her college best friend, Arike Ogunbowale. The duo won an NCAA championship together at Notre Dame.

Her numbers immediately looked better, 10 points per game on 41.8 per cent shooting from deep. It was smooth sailing from there on, as she averaged over 13 points per game with the Wings across the next two seasons.

In 2021, she finished third in both Most Improved Player and Sixth Woman of the Year voting.

But Mabrey’s time in Dallas was followed by trades again. She was traded first to the Chicago Sky in 2023, then to the Connecticut Sun in 2024.

However, it was with the Sun where she had her highlight moment. She dropped 27 points against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, the most by a reserve in WNBA history.

Then, Canada came calling in the expansion draft for her. She went on to sign a two-year deal at the new league maximum of $1.2 million per season.

What separates the Tempo from her time in other teams is that for the first time, a franchise is building itself around her, rather than the other way around.

Now, the 29-year-old will hope to be the catalyst that helps a new franchise get on its feet, and she has started perfectly.

How far in the rankings do you think the Toronto Tempo will reach this season?