Sun is WNBAThey have been the worst team at 3-point shooting this year, but that could change soon. In-season trades We sent Marina Mabry from Chicago to Connecticut.
Speaking at her first press conference since returning from the Paris Olympics, Alyssa Thomas emphasized how beneficial Mabrey’s offensive skill set will be for the Suns, who currently rank 10th in the WNBA in both three-pointers made (5.5 per game) and three-point shooting percentage (31.4%).
Meanwhile, Mabry has shot 35.8 percent from 3-point range over his six-year career and has made at least two 3-pointers per game in four of the past five seasons. No player from Connecticut has averaged more than 1.7 3-pointers per game.
“You know the 3-point shot was an issue for us in the first half of the season,” Thomas said, “and now we have a player like her who isn’t afraid to shoot and has done it with multiple teams.”
Photo by Evan Yu/NBAE via Getty Images
Marlena Mabry is the Sky’s second-leading scorer this season, averaging 14 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals. Her 3-point shooting percentage is down from last year (39% in 2023, 34.8% now), but part of that is due to a lack of playmakers in Chicago’s rebuilding roster.
The hope is that players like Alyssa Thomas, Tyshia Harris and DeWanna Bonner will continue to be the focal points of Connecticut’s offense, while Mabrey will be able to space the court and make more catch-and-shoot jump shots.
“In our offense, we switch positions a lot. She carries the ball, but she also has space on the court for me and Ty. [Harris] “It’s just about giving her opportunities and letting her take open shots,” Thomas said. “When I played against them and watched her this past season, she didn’t have that. Hopefully, that can take her to the next level as well.”
To acquire Mabry, the Suns sent Rachel Banham, Moriah Jefferson, a 2025 first-round draft pick, and a 2026 first-round draft pick to the Chicago Sky in exchange for a 2024 second-round draft pick. While Banham and Jefferson were both key players in the locker room, neither was a high-volume scorer, something the Suns sorely lacked.
While big in-season trades aren’t uncommon in the WNBA, there appears to be at least a slight gap between the Suns and other championship contenders: Over the past two seasons, the Suns are 2-13 against last year’s finals teams, the Liberty and the Aces.
So while Connecticut has been elite defensively, allowing fewer points per game than any team, it was clear heading into the postseason that they needed to address their 3-point shooting issues and were in need of an extra scorer.
DeWanna Bonner typically carries the burden offensively, averaging a team-high 13.9 shots per game, but there have been plenty of times this season when the offense has faltered and a lack of additional shot creators has held Connecticut back. For the Sky, Mabry has made 51.1 percent of her 3-point attempts.
“Having a player like her adds another level to us, especially at the guard position, so we don’t have to have a DB running. [DeWanna Bonner] “We executed every play to death,” Thomas said. “This gives us some balance in our offense and hopefully takes us to the next level.”
In a press release shortly after the trade, Suns general manager Darius Taylor said Mabrey brings a competitive spirit and a scorer’s mentality.
“We feel she’s a player that will give us that extra edge in competing for the championship this year,” he said.
That competitive spirit is no surprise for the Sun: Mabry and her current teammate, DiJonai Carrington, are notorious for pursuing it. Many times Competitive all year round..
Thanks to her passionate nature, Marina Mabry may be a perfect fit for Connecticut.
“She’s a good kid,” Alyssa Thomas said. “She wants to win.”
