TORONTO — Marina Mabrey matched the WNBA scoring record with 53 points to help the Toronto Tempo rout the Los Angeles Sparks 125-97 on Thursday night.
Mabrey tied the mark set by Liz Cambage for the Dallas Wings against the New York Liberty on July 17, 2018, and matched by A’ja Wilson for the Las Vegas Aces against the Atlanta Dream on Aug. 22, 2023.
Mabrey said she was unaware of the scoring record until her sister Michaela, sitting on the sideline, told her she was three points away.
“There’s no stat board in our gym,” Mabrey said. “After you get into a state like that, it’s kind of hard to know what you’re really doing, but my teammates made it known, so I knew I was doing something good.”
When she checked out with a minute remaining, fans briefly booed before erupting into cheers in acknowledgement of her big night. The clock ticked down to zero with chants of “We want Mabrey! We want Mabrey!”
“She wanted to come out,” Toronto coach Sandy Brondello said. “I said ‘No, no you’ve got to stay in for this record.'”
Mabrey did as the coach said, firing up two more 3-pointers, which both missed. Then it was time.
“She was done. She goes, ‘I’m out,'” Brondello said.
Mabrey shot 17-of-28 from the field, tied the WNBA record for 3-pointers with nine in 18 attempts, and made 10 of 12 free throws.
“I think tonight was just my night from the 3-point line — and from honestly everywhere,” Mabrey said with a laugh. “And then the fans, to end up chanting MVP, I don’t know that I ever imagined that. But it was really a good feeling.”
The 29-year-old former Notre Dame star shattered the first-year expansion team’s previous high of 38 points reached twice by Brittney Sykes this season.
“I’ve been doing this for quite some time,” Brondello said. “I’ve never seen that. … I mean, to witness that was amazing.”
Mabrey also had six rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes.
Julie Allemand added 13 points and 14 assists for Toronto in the highest-scoring game in the team’s short history.
“Julie literally throws the ball right to my pocket, it’s actually wild,” Mabrey said.
Dearica Hamby and Nneka Ogwumike led the Sparks with 21 points apiece.
Toronto climbed back to .500 at 9-9, and Los Angeles fell to 8-9.
The Tempo opened a nine-game homestand that includes two games at Montreal’s Bell Centre.