Tag: Marina Mabrey

DiJonai Carrington and Marina Mabrey’s enemies to friends redemption arc is the best

This is the BEST plot twist.

Given the history, it’s still hard to comprehend Marina Mabrey and DiJonai Carrington on the same team. But their redemption arc is fantastic, and I’m totally here for it.

Marina and DiJonai weren’t exactly friends before her trade to the Connecticut Sun. They have a well-documented history of jawing at one another and getting very spicy — so spicy that fans created hysterical memes about them having to get along. But on Wednesday, we saw why Marina and DiJonai have worked so well together.

For context, DiJonai was doing everything that earned her Most Improved Player honors (steals, deflections, big shots), and when the Sun needed it most, Marina showed why the Sun traded for her. As Connecticut and the Indiana Fever were in a down-to-the-wire playoff game, she launched the COLDEST dagger 3-point shot, ending the Fever’s season.

Marina’s clutch shot had DiJonai totally hyped, and the pair pulled out Carmelo Anthony’s famous 3-point celebration on the sideline.

After the game, Marina and DiJonai were still hyping each other up, and it was actually pretty fantastic. This is wholesome activity, and I love it.

Fans were all in on Marina and DiJonai as well. Here’s what they said:

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Former Notre Dame great Marina Mabrey ends Caitlin Clark’s season

Mabrey next year, rook.

Caitlin Clark has been playing basketball almost nonstop for nearly a year, and that finally has come to an end. A lot of it at the end had to do with former Notre Dame guard [autotag]Marina Mabrey[/autotag].

The Connecticut Sun acquired Mabrey from the Chicago Sky during the season, and that move has paid off so far. Mabrey scored 17 points as the Sun swept Clark’s Indiana Fever out of the first round of the WNBA playoffs with an 87-81 Game 2 victory.

Mabrey, starting in place of the injured Tyasha Harris, shot only 3 of 10 from 3-point range during the game, but she made two big ones late. One of them came as an answer to one from Clark, who led all scorers with 25 points:

A few minutes later, with the Fever’s season hanging in the balance, Mabrey hit from downtown again to squash any doubts that this game would end in the Sun’s favor:

Mabrey performed spectacularly in the two-game sweep. She led all scorers with 27 points off the bench in Game 1.

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Marina Mabrey, Kayla McBride compete in WNBA All-Star events

Did you watch?

Notre Dame had some representation to tip off WNBA All-Star festivities over the next couple of days. Two of the three events held Friday in Phoenix featured that representation. Regrettably, it didn’t result in any hardware.

[autotag]Marina Mabrey[/autotag], who was traded from the Chicago Sky at her request earlier this week to the Connecticut Sun, competed in the Skills Challenge, the evening’s first event. You can’t see it that well in the video, but she fumbled a couple of times towards the end, costing her precious time:

The fumbles proved costly as she missed out on the final by two tenths of a second. All she could at that point was look to the 3-Point Contest, but she scored a contest-low 19 points:

Fellow former Irish standout [autotag]Kayla McBride[/autotag] of the Minnesota Lynx came right after her and scored enough points to stay alive:

However, she also didn’t advance to the final, so that was it for Notre Dame fans for the evening. The Atlanta Dream’s Allisha Gray wound up winning both events, becoming the first player to do so on the same night.

McBride and [autotag]Arike Ogunbowale[/autotag] will compete with the rest of the WNBA All-Stars in the All-Star Game on Saturday. They’ll be up against the U.S. Olympic team featuring [autotag]Jackie Young[/autotag] and [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag].

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Marina Mabrey’s surprising trade to the Sun inspired so many DiJonai Carrington memes

Marina Mabrey and DiJonai Carrington on the same team? ABSOLUTE CINEMA.

Marina Mabrey is officially a member of the Connecticut Sun, which means she’ll have to play on the same team as her assumed nemesis, DiJonai Carrington.

On Wednesday, Mabrey was shipped out of Chicago to join Connecticut in a trade that surprised many hoops fans. Nevertheless, it didn’t stop them from thinking of the possibilities that Marina could bring to the team, including potentially having to swallow whatever beef she has with DiJonai Carrington.

It’s a horribly kept secret that DiJonai and Marina do not exactly get along and have previously exchanged words numerous times on the court. (Warning: NSFW language).

The thought of them having to play together had hoops fans making hysterical memes. Here are some of the best we’ve found.

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Marina Mabrey trade grades: Who won the Sky-Sun deal?

Who won the Marina Mabrey trade between the Sky and the Sun?

The WNBA trade deadline is easily over a month away, but the Chicago Sky aren’t waiting until then to make moves.

It’s a full-on youth movement in the Windy City, and the team has sent veteran Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Sun in a transaction that is sure to turn heads.

The Sky are still rebuilding, but the Sun are title contenders and could challenge the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. However, before they can upset Vegas, they have to beat New York — a team that has simply kicked its tails up and down the court THREE TIMES this season.

Adding Mabrey, who has averaged 18 points and nearly three made shots from behind the arc in her last 15 games against the Liberty, to the roster certainly passes an initial eye test. But let’s break down how this trade went for both sides.

Trade details:

The Sky get: Guards Rachel Banham, Moriah Jefferson and a 2025 first-round draft pick, plus the rights to swap a 2026 first-round pick

The Sun get: Guard Marina Mabrey and a 2025 second-round pick

(Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)

Chicago Sky:

This trade is going to be a tough one for Chicago Sky fans to swallow.

Although Marina Mabrey’s play was inconsistent, and she probably made a few fans want to pull out their hair watching her shoot free throws, she was a fairly decent presence from the 3-point line. Giving up a 34 percent shooter right now might not seem like a big deal. But the reality is that the Sky are DEAD LAST in 3-pointers made per game (4.5) in the WNBA.

Additionally, the Sky gave up a LOT to get Mabrey in a four-team trade last season, including its first-round draft picks in 2024 and 2025. They recouped a bit of that, but the trade still feels heavy.

There’s also something else to consider. What are the Chicago Sky going to do about Dana Evans?

Per Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times, Evans was benched after just 12 games as a starter. Despite her production, Evans was averaging 30 minutes and is now down to 13.8 minutes. Furthermore, she was supposed to be a starter until Marina Mabrey showed up. With Mabrey gone, does that mean that Evans gets an expanded role? Will her currently declining minutes suddenly go up? The Sky has some decisions to make.

Trade grade: C

Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington (21) reacts after a three point basket against the Indiana Fever in the second quarter at Mohegan Sun Arena.
(David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports)

Connecticut Sun

I’m not mad about this move at all for the Connecticut Sun. (Still, I send my condolences to Rachel Banham. She set a WNBA record for most 3-pointers off the bench just days ago, and now she’s been traded. OUCH.)

Adding Mabrey to the roster is a huge boost for Connecticut. They get a proven threat off the bench who can help players like DeWanna Bonner, Ty Harris and DiJonai Carrington continue their reign of terror from beyond the arc.

They’ll need that if they plan on beating teams like the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces throughout the season and eventually making the playoffs. I’ve spent a good bit of my weekly WNBA power rankings calling the Sun frauds because they can’t keep up with the league’s best, and this move might help them actually be legitimate. Well done, Sun.

Trade grade: B

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Former Notre Dame guard Marina Mabrey traded to Connecticut Sun

Hope she gets her ring this year.

[autotag]Marina Mabrey[/autotag] won a national championship with Notre Dame in 2018. The former Irish guard is in her sixth WNBA season but does not a ring at that level. Her odds of earning that ring this year just improved significantly.

The Chicago Sky have traded Mabrey and a 2025 second-round pick to the Connecticut Sun for Rachel Banham, Moriah Jefferson, a 2025 first-round pick and the rights to swap first-round picks in 2026. The Sky are a fringe playoff team, but the Sun are only two-and-a-half games behind the New York Liberty for the league’s best record. Needless to say, it’s a better situation for Mabrey, who is headed to her fourth WNBA team.

Mabrey was second on the Sky with 14.0 points a game and was leading them with a career-high 4.5 assists a game. She also is averaging a career-high 4.9 rebounds a game. Her departure will be felt by the Sky, though they still have former Irish standouts [autotag]Lindsay Allen[/autotag] and [autotag]Brianna Turner[/autotag].

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Four former Notre Dame stars compete in Seattle Storm-Chicago Sky game

Second meeting for these teams in three days.

For the second time in three days, the Seattle Storm hosted the Chicago Sky. Together, the teams boast five players who once represented Notre Dame. The Storm won the third and final matchup between the teams for the regular season, 84-71.

The Storm’s [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] led the former Irish players with 20 points despite shooting only 6-of-20 from the field. [autotag]Skylar Diggins-Smith[/autotag], Loyd’s fellow starting guard, scored 15 points and led all players with eight assists.

For the Sky, [autotag]Marina Mabrey[/autotag] and [autotag]Lindsay Allen[/autotag] tied for the team lead with six assists apiece. Mabrey scored 14 points but had a game-high four turnovers. Allen made a single basket on two field-goal attempts.

[autotag]Brianna Turner[/autotag], who played on her 28th birthday when these teams met the other night, was left on the bench for the third time in four games.

This game also was notable for Angel Reese recording her WNBA-record 13th straight double-double, breaking a record previously held by Candace Parker. We’ll see if she can wrestle Rookie of the Year honors away from Caitlin Clark.

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Five Notre Dame alumni face each other on Brianna Turner’s birthday

Plan to stay up late tonight.

Former Notre Dame standout [autotag]Brianna Turner[/autotag] has turned 28, and there’s only one way to celebrate if you’re an Irish fan. Turner and four of her fellow former Irish will be on the same court when the Chicago Sky visit the Seattle Storm. This is the WNBA matchup that can provide the most former Notre Dame players at any one time in 2024.

Turner has been left on the bench during the Sky’s past two games, but maybe coach Teresa Weatherspoon will give her a break on her birthday. Weatherspoon will have no qualms playing Sky leading scorer [autotag]Marina Mabrey[/autotag] (14.1 points a game) or reliable bench player [autotag]Lindsay Allen[/autotag], whose 3.1 assists a game rank third on the Sky.

Suiting up for the Storm will be U.S. Olympian [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag], one of the league’s top scorers at 20.4 points a game, and [autotag]Skylar Diggins-Smith[/autotag], whose 13.9 points a game rank third on the team. A win for the Storm would tie them for first with [autotag]Kayla McBride[/autotag]’s Minnesota Lynx in the Western Conference.

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Two former Notre Dame players make WNBA All-Star roster

Congrats, Arike and Kayla!

The final decade or so of [autotag]Muffet McGraw[/autotag]’s tenure at Notre Dame saw her develop many future WNBA stars. Those stars have their mark on today’s league and have earned the right to display their skills as much as possible.

The WNBA All-Star roster for the annual All-Star Game on July 20 in Phoenix has been announced. That roster will include the Dallas Wings’ [autotag]Arike Ogunbowale[/autotag] and the Minnesota Lynx’s [autotag]Kayla McBride[/autotag], two players who came up with the Irish.

Ogunbowale was named to the team by virtue of being one of the top 10 vote-getters among fans, players and media. McBride was one of eight additional players named after coaches completed the final round of voting. Among those on the final ballot but not making the roster were the Seattle Storm’s [autotag]Skylar Diggins-Smith[/autotag] and the Chicago Sky’s [autotag]Marina Mabrey[/autotag].

The WNBA All-Stars will face the U.S. Olympic team, which includes the Las Vegas Aces’ [autotag]Jackie Young[/autotag], who also was one of the top 10 WNBA vote-getters, and the Storm’s [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag].

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Notre Dame alumni aplenty in Chicago Sky-Seattle Storm game

Will you watch if you’re able?

Notre Dame has one of the best women’s basketball programs in the country. As proof of that, eight players who have gone through the program currently are in the WNBA. The most number of those players who can be on the floor at the same time are five. We’ll see this happen Tuesday when the Chicago Sky host the Seattle Storm, both teams with .500 records.

[autotag]Marina Mabrey[/autotag], one of the top 3-point shooters in the WNBA who has made 12 of 34 shots from downtown for a .364 shooting percentage from there, leads the Sky with 19.3 points and 5.5 assists a game. [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag], the league’s defending scoring champion, is second on the Storm with 19.5 points a game.

The Storm’s [autotag]Skylar Diggins-Smith[/autotag] is fifth in the league with 6.2 assists a game, which would tie a career high if the season ended today. Rounding out this group of former Irish players are the Sky’s [autotag]Lindsay Allen[/autotag] and [autotag]Brianna Turner[/autotag], and we’ll see if they can play a role in this game.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

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