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WNBA Legend Candace Parker Receives Apology Over Old Incident

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Shubham Singh | Last updated Jan 21, 2026 3:23 PM ET

Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey has lit the 3x3 league Unrivaled on fire. She has scored 20+ points in all five appearances. During the latest clash against Vinyl, she cashed in on six triples for an Unrivaled career-high of 31 points.

Apart from a scintillating performance, Mabrey also got into a fight against Vinyl’s Courtney Williams. This incident fueled her to come up with a winning performance.

Mabrey had a chat with her former LA Sparks teammate Candace Parker after the game. The Sparks drafted Mabrey with the 19th pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft. Parker knew Mabrey had what it takes to thrive at the pro level pretty early on. She is well aware of the competitive juices flowing in her veins.

Parker Recalls Mabrey’s Unapologetic Attitude

During the conversation, Parker brought up how she was in the post-up position and demanded the ball from Mabrey during their first practice. The sharpshooter didn’t pass the ball and took a 3-pointer, ignoring the pass call from a well-established WNBA superstar.

This made a deep impression upon Parker, who understood the carefree attitude of Mabrey. Parker narrated that incident to Mabrey, who issued a light-hearted apology.

.@Candace_Parker had to remind @mmabrey1 about their rookie-vet moment in the @WNBA

"First off, CP, I'm sorry still." pic.twitter.com/OjoGsN3lPp
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) January 20, 2026

Of course, Parker knew that the apology was not sincere. Mabrey admitted so, adding more color to their banter.

Mabrey had a short stint with the Sparks

Mabrey didn’t enter as a top prospect in the WNBA. In her rookie year, she still managed to average 4.0 points in 11.5 minutes per game. The Sparks traded her to the Dallas Wings during the 2020 offseason.

Since then, Mabrey has averaged double digits in scoring in each of the past six seasons. She had a tough season with the rebuilding Connecticut Sun in 2025 (37% FG, 27% 3-point shooting) while scoring 14.4 points per game. It will be interesting to see if she sees a change of fortune during the 2026 WNBA season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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