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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tToronto Tempo’s Marina Mabrey (3) reacts after scoring a three-point shot during second half WNBA basketball action against the New York Liberty in Montreal, on Sunday, July 12, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Graham Hughes<\/p>\n
While her absence has been noticeable as the Tempo had won just two of their last eight games heading into Sunday\u2019s matchup with the New York Liberty, Mabrey has stepped up to fill that void on the offensive side of the ball.<\/p>\n
Mabrey currently sits fourth in the league in scoring, making her one of the early favourites for the league\u2019s Most Improved Player Award.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think (Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello) holding me accountable is probably the biggest thing just because she\u2019s really challenging me,\u201d said Mabrey. \u201cI changed some things in the off-season, knowing that my footwork is there, I think that I can get to the spots easier and know I\u2019m gonna\u2019 finish.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then, obviously, my teammates. When you have teammates that are fully trusting you, getting you the ball, letting you run the team, letting you run the offence \u2026 and seeing that they\u2019re also getting confidence from it is, I think, the biggest step that we have taken as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Against the Liberty, she once again carried the offensive load, scoring 30 points as the Tempo snapped a four-game losing streak with a 93-91 victory at the Bell Centre.<\/p>\n
This was the fourth time since Sykes\u2019 injury that Mabrey reached the 30-point mark \u2014 including a 53-point eruption against the Los Angeles Sparks that tied the all-time WNBA record.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to coach Marina,\u201d said Brondello. \u201cI felt like, in the past, she\u2019s always been a little underrated, but she\u2019s one of the best shot creators in the league, and I\u2019ve coached many of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The shot creation proved invaluable Sunday as her 30 points and steady free throw shooting \u2014 including eight of the team\u2019s final 10 points \u2014 led the way during a tense and confrontational fourth quarter.<\/p>\n
Despite enjoying a lead as big as 20 points and not trailing all game, the Tempo almost threw the game away by getting into foul trouble.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just working on not being rage-baited,\u201d joked Mabrey, who was also hit with a shoe thrown by Liberty guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton during the game.<\/p>\n
Brondello voiced her displeasure with the game\u2019s officiating but acknowledged that their fourth quarter was not up to their usual standard, praising Toronto\u2019s resilience instead.<\/p>\n
\n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n