It came as a shock to nearly everyone in the league when Marina Mabrey was moved about a month before the WNBA Trade Deadline. Jeff Pagliocca and the Chicago Sky had to let her go. Meanwhile, the Connecticut Sun got another veteran to act as their floor general. While Stephanie White and Darius Taylor are receiving a great player, it still made little sense as to why this move was made. Now, it looks like some light has been shed on the situation.
Jeff Pagliocca and the Sky reportedly did not account for them trading Marina Mabrey away at all, per Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times. Apparently, the front office was just responding to the trade request of their floor general. This prompted an in-season trade which has only happened one other time in the past half-decade.
The Sky got Moriah Jefferson, Rachel Banham, 2026 pick swap rights, and a 2025 first-round pick. On the other hand, the Sun received Mabrey and a 2025 second-round pick. While this move was unexpected, the Sky general manager had nothing but praise for their departing player.
“Marina has made a significant impact over the past two seasons with the Sky behind her scoring ability, playmaking, competitiveness, and commitment to the community. We appreciate all of her contributions to the organization and wish her continued success in the league,” Pagliocca said.
Sky uniform out, Sun jerseys in for Marina Mabrey
The Sun are also more than excited to have her on board. Pagliocca and the Sky front office may have just given them the missing piece that they need for a championship run.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Sun. She is a player that we feel will give us the extra edge to compete for a championship this year. She brings a competitive spirit and scorer’s mentality along with an ability to make big plays. I believe Stephanie White and her staff will be able to utilize Marina in many ways as we start the second half of our season and continue our quest for our first title,” the Sun general manager said.
Prior to getting moved a month before the WNBA Trade Deadline, Mabrey suited up in 24 games for the Sky. She played an average of 33 minutes and did not disappoint in any single second. She knocked down her shots with a 38.1% clip which is the lowest her efficiency has been in her career. Nonetheless, Mabrey was still able to score 14 points for them on a nightly basis.
Not to mention, her facilitating chops were also on display for the Sky in the first half of the season. Mabrey dished out 4.5 assists on average. Moreover, she was also able to take advantage of hasty passes and ball positioning. This insane acumen for tracking the ball netted her 1.2 steals per night. The Sun are now going to benefit from all of this as they search for answers to get past the second round in this year's postseason run. Will she be the missing piece?
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