The Connecticut Sun made a big trade just before the WNBA's Olympic break, acquiring guard Marina Mabrey from the Chicago Sky. Mabrey is a talented player who instantly upgrades the Sun's starting lineup, making a championship run a realistic possibility for Connecticut. She also recently committed to play in another basketball league.
According to multiple sources on social media, Mabrey has agreed to joined the Unrivaled basketball league.
“Seeeee you guys in Miami!!! Who could player 14/30 be???” Mabrey said in a social media post, responding to the news that she joined Unrivaled.
Mabrey is just the 13th player to commit to the league, which launches early next year.
Mabrey also made her regular season debut with the Connecticut Sun last night in a 109-91 victory over the Dallas Wings. She scored 17 points and played 30 minutes in her first game as a member of the Sun.
Connecticut Sun fans may be wondering — what is Unrivaled?
![Jul 13, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) is defended by Chicago Sky guard Marina Mabrey (4) during the first half of a WNBA game at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/USATSI_23734497_168403409_lowres.jpg)
Sun fans may be wondering — what is Unrivaled?
Unrivaled is a three-on-three basketball league that was announced in July 2023. It was founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Nepheesa Collier.
The league features a 10-15% ownership pool for players, allowing them to earn extra money. Unrivaled has been aggressively recruiting WNBA players to fill out the league with talented, recognizable players.
Unrivaled will feature six franchises with a total of 30 players. Sun guard Marina Mabrey is player number 13 who has committed to the league.
The league also promises a higher floor for player salaries, which should be attractive to pretty much every WNBA player. Unrivaled's salary cap for 30 plays will be at least $7.5 million, which promises an average salary of $250,000. This exceeds the WNBA supermax contract value of $241,000.
“Women’s sports is on such a rise, and it feels like everyone is benefiting from that except the women in the sport, and obviously that’s something we’re trying to change and then also create generational wealth for these women,” Collier said via The Athletic back in May. “From the beginning, (Stewart) and I really set out to create a league that was founded on that principle that players deserve compensation and ownership that reflect their value.”
Other WNBA stars who have already committed to Unrivaled include:
- Arike Ogunbowale
- Kelsey Plum
- Kahleah Copper
- Jewell Loyd
- Angel Reese
Unrivaled also has a commitment from projected top draft pick Paige Bueckers from UConn.
The league will launch in January 2025.