Mabrey Ties WNBA Scoring Mark with 53-Point Explosion in Tempo Win

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If the expansion Toronto Tempo (9-9) were looking for a signature moment to truly solidify their arrival in the North, they got it on Thursday night. In a breathtaking, historical shooting display that left both the crowd and her own head coach in complete awe, guard Marina Mabrey exploded for a record-tying 53 points, powering the Tempo to a blistering 125-97 rout of the Los Angeles Sparks (8-9) at a packed Coca-Cola Coliseum.

With the performance, the 29-year-old former Notre Dame standout etched her name permanently into the history books, matching the WNBA all-time single-game scoring record held by Liz Cambage (2018) and A’ja Wilson (2023).

The Stat Sheet That Shook the League

Mabrey didn’t just crawl her way to 53; she shot the absolute lights out of the arena, tying another WNBA record by draining nine triples along the way.

Statistic	Marina Mabrey’s Historic Night
Points	53 (T-1st All-Time)
Field Goals	17-of-28 (60.7%)
3-Pointers	9-of-18 (50.0%)
Free Throws	10-of-12 (83.3%)
Rebounds / Assists	6 REB / 2 AST
Minutes Played	32 MIN

How the Record unfolded: “There’s no stat board in our gym”

From the opening tip, Toronto established complete control, never trailing the entire night. Mabrey set a torrid pace early, dropping 27 points by the halftime whistle. By the end of the third quarter, she had eclipsed her own previous franchise record (37 points) with 39 on the board.

Remarkably, Mabrey had no idea she was on the verge of league history until a voice from the baseline clued her in. Her sister, Michaela Mabrey, who was sitting courtside, yelled out that she was just three points away from the magic number.

Marina Mabrey on the historic moment: “There’s no stat board in our gym… 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.”

With the crowd frantically chanting “MVP! MVP!” and “We Want Mabrey!”, Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello refused to let her star check out until the history was sealed. Mabrey rattled off 14 points in the final frame, tying the record with just over a minute remaining before checking out to a rapturous, standing ovation.

A Total Team Effort in Expansion History

While Mabrey was the undisputed apex predator of the evening, Toronto’s offense functioned like a beautifully oiled machine, setting a WNBA franchise record with 125 points.

The Ultimate Conductor: Point guard Julie Allemand was surgical in her delivery, finishing with 13 points and a career-high 14 assists. Mabrey was quick to praise her backcourt partner postgame: “Julie literally throws the ball right to my pocket, it’s actually wild.”
The Supporting Cast: Forward María Conde chipped in a smooth 13 points and 7 rebounds, while Laura Juškaitė provided immense energy off the bench with a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double.
The Sparks’ Perspective: Los Angeles simply had no answer for Toronto’s 20-of-42 (47.6%) onslaught from deep. Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby fought valiantly with 21 points apiece, but a heavily depleted Sparks squad—missing leading scorer Kelsey Plum due to a leg injury—was buried by the perimeter deluge early.

High Praise From a Legend

Head coach Sandy Brondello, who has witnessed decades of elite women’s basketball across her storied career as a player and coach, was left nearly speechless by the display.

Tempo Coach Sandy Brondello: “I’ve been doing this for quite some time. I’ve never seen that. Not even from Diana Taurasi, and she could shoot it really well. I mean, to witness that was amazing.”

With the win, the expansion Tempo climbs back to a perfectly balanced .500 record on the season. Toronto will look to ride this historic wave into Saturday afternoon, as they welcome the dangerous Phoenix Mercury to town for a highly anticipated clash at Scotiabank Arena.