Marina

Mabrey

Rivers capped off her rookie season scoring at all three levels. She began the evening with a three-pointer in the second quarter and then scored most of her points in the third quarter. She got to the rim on drives while blowing past Dream defenders Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard. She came off screens and hit a couple of mid-range jumpers. Rivers led the Sun in assists alongside teammate Marina Mabrey as the pair each had five a piece. Rivers found Mabrey cutting off the ball in addition to Tina Charles for a couple of jump shots. Also, Rivers set up Aneesah Morrow for a wide open drive right to the basket. Rivers finished her rookie campaign with 100 total stocks, a statistic which combines steals and blocks. She’s the only rookie to reach that number this season and the only other players who have done so in 2025 are WNBA all-defensive caliber players in A’ja Wilson, Gabby Williams, Napheesa Collier, Alanna Smith and Ezi Magbegor.

Mabrey finished her 2025 season with her second most efficient shooting performance of the year. She shot 53.3 percent from the field, her highest percentage since May 30 when she shot 58.8 percent from the field against the Fever. Mabrey scored 20 points in the Sun’s season finale, and it was the ninth time of the season Mabrey scored at least 20 points during a game. She struck a balance between scoring the basketball off the ball and then creating offense on the ball. Half of her made shots came on assists and the other four did not. Mabrey facilitated the basketball well also, tying Saniya Rivers for the most assists by a Sun player on Wednesday. She passed the ball to four different teammates including Rivers, Tina Charles, Aaliyah Edwards and Aneesah Morrow.

Mabrey finished with fewer than 10 points for just the 12th time this season, as low shooting volume and efficiency likely contributed to the decreased scoring production. All of the veteran guard’s points and assists came in the first half of Monday’s loss, leaving Mabrey with a somewhat unspectacular final line. However, she’ll have a chance to end the season on a high note in Wednesday’s regular-season finale and rematch against the Dream.

Mabrey and Tina Charles carried the scoring load like usual for the Sun, but when Charles had trouble scoring the basketball in the third quarter, Mabrey stepped up notching 8 points, an assist and two steals in the third that helped the Sun get back into the game when they were down, including a steal that resulted in a score on the other end. Points were hard to come by in that third quarter for both teams and Mabrey pushed the ball in transition and exploited the Mercury’s weaker defenders in the process. Mabrey also distributed the basketball well for the Sun. She found Charles once in the first half and then made some pivotal passes to Aaliyah Edwards, Saniya Rivers and Charles for scores in the final two quarters while the Sun were down by as many as 7 points.

Mabrey was held without a field goal or a point for the first time this season on Wednesday. Her biggest contributions came as a facilitator, as the veteran guard led all players in assists. She also pitched in a few rebounds and a blocked shot before finishing with a game-worst plus-minus (-20). Mabrey has struggled with her shooting of late but will have an opportunity to find her rhythm against the Mercury on Saturday.

While Mabrey extended her streak of double-digit scoring efforts to five on Monday, she struggled from beyond the arc against the Dream. The Sun guard was 1-of-7 on the day, continuing a cold streak that began after Mabrey hit five triples in consecutive games in mid-August. Since Connecticut’s August 10 loss to the Aces, she’s shot 13-of-59 (22.0 percent). By comparison, Mabrey is shooting 28 percent from three for the season. While the Sun are playing out the string after being eliminated from playoff contention, she’ll want to finish the season shooting the ball better than she has over the last three weeks.

Mabrey was one of two Sun starters to score 14 points in Saturday’s loss, with Tina Charles being the other. After shooting 36.8 percent from the field and totaling 16 points in two wins over the Mystics, Mabrey has scored 14 points or more in each of her last four outings. The good news for fantasy managers who have her rostered is that Mabrey’s playing time has remained high despite Connecticut being well out of the race for a playoff spot. That should bode well for those competing for fantasy championships over the final two weeks of the regular season.

On the heels of a 20-point outing against the Sky, Mabrey put together another strong scoring performance on Monday. The veteran guard struggled with shooting efficiency, but her high volume and ability to produce from the three-point line ultimately allowed her to finish as one of the Sun’s top scorers. Five of her 18 points came in the fourth quarter as Connecticut and New York traded leads throughout the final frame. Mabrey also tied a team-high in assists on the evening. She’ll have a chance to secure another productive performance against the Wings on Wednesday.

Mabrey excelled in many areas against the Sky. She finished as one of three Sun players to score at least 20 points, led the team in assists, and made contributions on the defensive end as well. Her performance on Saturday was a nice response to a seven-point outing on Thursday against the Mystics. Mabrey will look to play another important role on Monday against the Liberty in the Sun’s attempt to secure a fourth consecutive win.

While Mabrey wasn’t overly productive as a scorer, she left her mark in several other areas of the game. The veteran guard tied a team-high in assists and finished as one of the Sun’s leading rebounders on the night. Mabrey hasn’t scored in double figures since the overtime loss to the Fever, which could leave fantasy managers to believe that she is due for a strong scoring performance soon. She’ll have a chance to make an impact against the Sky on Saturday.