Unrivaled, a new 3-on-3 women's professional basketball league that begins Friday, announced that Marina Mabry suffered a right calf strain during training camp and is expected to be out for two to four weeks.
Mabry, a member of the Phantom Club, underwent an MRI scan at Mount Sinai with team physician Dr. Danica Vance, which revealed the distortion. She will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Unparalleled injury updates:
Phantoms BC guard Marina Mabry suffered a right calf strain during training camp and will be re-examined in two to four weeks.
— Noah Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) January 16, 2025
Luckily for the Phantoms, they are one of five six-a-side clubs. Even without Mabry, they will start the season with five healthy players. That's the same as the Lunar Owls, who have five healthy players (and Cameron Brink is out for the season while recovering from a torn ACL).
The rest of the team (Sato Sabally, Brittney Greiner, Natasha Cloud, Katie Lou Samuelson, and Sabrina Ionescu) had to step up in her absence, ultimately ending the nine-week first half of the season. It is possible that the
Unrivaled includes 36 WNBA stars. The league's one-on-one tournament is scheduled to begin on February 10th, and Mabry could be at risk of missing out.
Mabry, a guard for the Connecticut Sun, averaged 14.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists in the 2024 season. She was traded from the Chicago Sky to Connecticut midway through the season and was one of the team's most consistent contributors in the postseason, averaging 15.9 points in the playoffs. She sprained her ankle in the Sun's final postseason game (a Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Lynx in the Eastern Conference), but made a full recovery by training camp.
Even without Mabry, the Phantom still has plenty of firepower. Head coach Adam Harrington is looking to utilize the playmaking and shooting ability of Ionescu and Cloud, as well as Sabally's two-way versatility.
Sabrina Ionescu is fully cleared to play in Unrivaled
Ionescu had surgery last month to repair a torn UCL in his right thumb and said Thursday he was cleared to play although he was not 100%.
“[The recovery] It sped up a little bit,” Ionescu said. “If this hadn't happened, I probably could have spent a little more time rehabbing and waiting to recover. But while I'm out here getting live reps, I'm going to play and continue to rehab. My doctor has given me full permission to do so.”
Ionescu also said Thursday that she has been waived several times during the season and will not miss the entire season, including missing a few days during NBA All-Star weekend.
“They understand that I have an obligation to do and that I can go through it with them and that I am here and want to give my best to my teammates and this team. They were very understanding and very kind,” Ionescu said.
Before Mabry got hurt. Bleacher Report's Nekias Duncan I predicted that the Phantoms would be the top club in Unrivaled.