Marina Mabrey was destined to play basketball ever since she was born on September 14, 1996, in Belmar, New Jersey. She grew up in a basketball-centric family, Marina, is the third of five siblings, all of whom have played collegiate basketball. Her sister, Michaela Mabrey, played alongside her at Notre Dame, her brother, Roy, played at Saint Anselm College, and her younger sister, Dara, played at Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. Marina attended Manasquan High School, where she became the talk of the town as she led her team to multiple state championships. Marina cemented herself as one of the best high school players in that 2015 recruiting class not only off of her talent because wherever she goes, she wins.
This winning tradition would continue to carry on to the collegiate level at the University of Notre Dame. Her career would be nothing short of exceptional because as soon as she made the transition to college in 2015 she made an immediate impact. During her time at Notre Dame, Mabrey was known for her accurate sharp-shooting ability from behind the arc, calculated basketball IQ and relentless competitiveness. Over her four-year career her role within the team kept growing, particularly during their 2018 NCAA championship run. Mabrey helped lead Notre Dame to the national title in 2018, thanks to her knocking down 19 threes in the tournament. Mabrey finished her career at Notre Dame with 1,896 points, 276 three-pointers (the second-most in school history), and 500 assists, ranking her among Notre Dame’s all-time greats.
Mabrey’s incredible college career caught the eyes of the Los Angeles Sparks, who took her with the 19th overall pick in the second round of the 2019 WNBA Draft. Though she did not have a huge role in her rookie season, Mabrey’s potential was evident when she was dealt to the Dallas Wings ahead of the 2020 season. In Dallas, Mabrey was able to find her stride, becoming a critical player for the Wings. Once she became a consistent starter for the Wings in 2021, Mabrey had a breakout season as she averaged 13.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. Since she’s been in the league she has established herself as a premier 3pt shooter in the league, she was even top 10 in three-pointers made this season. Mabrey’s current splits are 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. I think she will be a great role piece for a team in the Unrivaled league because she can play and create more spacing for her teammates due to how effective she is from deep. Those 4 assists that she currently averages will also be an asset because she’s a willing and successful passer that knows how to make the right read when defenders potentially perform bad closeouts on her which allows her to penetrate and dish.
