Marina Mabrey doesn’t care what critics think about her game.
She doesn’t care that when she was drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks with the 19th overall pick in 2019, people didn’t think she would crack the roster.
In her fifth season, she laughs at the hot takes that her WNBA career would be short-lived.
She isn’t fazed that many believe one of former Sky coach/general manager James Wade’s biggest mistakes was trading away a hefty amount of draft capital for her.
“Whatever anyone has to say — ‘They shouldn’t have traded that for her’ or ‘She’s not worth that’ — that’s fine,” Mabrey told the Sun-Times. “That’s why they’re over there tweeting. They’re not in here.”
As she emphatically motioned to the Sky’s practice court at Sachs Recreation Center, it was clear that the doubt serves as a kind of starter fluid for her. It’s visible in every game Mabrey has played for the Sky (8-10) that the more adversity she is confronted with, whether a call by an official or a defender in her face, the more pumped up she gets.
That fire is one of the reasons Wade, even in his departure, adamantly defended his decision to trade two first-round picks, plus the right to swap the 2025 first-round pick, for her.
To critics, it appears that Wade traded away the Sky’s future. To Wade, he saw a developed player worth more than the potential upside of one of the many college stars who will be available in the next two draft classes.
“I still think the decisions made in the offseason were just,” Wade told the Sun-Times last week. “[Mabrey] is a great player, and I think people see that. If I ask people who the fifth pick in the draft was, it would take them time to figure that out. If you ask them who [Mabrey] is, they can probably figure that out a lot faster.”
Mabrey is an unmistakable budding WNBA star. She’s the Sky’s second-leading scorer, averaging a career-high 15.8 points.
Her steady improvement with the Dallas Wings from 2020 to 2022 earned her respect around the league as a combo guard with the potential to blossom into a franchise star.
In her fifth season, Mabrey is still looking for All-Star recognition from the league.
“First and foremost, congrats to Kahleah [Copper],” Mabrey said. “She deserves it. She’s an All-Star, a great player and a great teammate. I’m so happy she’s there. I think I’m an All-Star. I think I’ve been an All-Star in the past, but the WNBA hasn’t decided that. But I’ve decided it, though.”
Wade’s exit hit players differently.
Copper and Dana Evans have shared the difficult reality that comes with saying goodbye to the coach they won a championship with. Mabrey’s feelings aren’t the same.
Yes, Mabrey signed a three-year deal with the Sky under the assumption that she’d be playing for him, but she’s also at peace with the business side of basketball.
“You have to be able to play for coaches,” Mabrey said. “You have to be able to play for different franchises. You have to be able to make it work in other situations. In my opinion, you’re only as good as your ability to adapt.”
All season, the Sky have been forced to adapt to roster changes, injuries and now the unceremonious exit of their coach/general manager. Wade’s exit ensures that the Sky’s adaptation period will extend beyond this season as ownership is forced to confront whether it’ll remove the interim tag on Emre Vatansever. Another pertinent question is whether ownership will separate the dual role of coach/GM.
The contract Mabrey signed keeps her in Chicago through 2025. It’s to her benefit that she’s good at adapting.
