Marina Mabrey’s Historic Game Earns Diana Taurasi Comparison From Sandy Brondello
It’s not often that a player can be compared to Diana Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer and three-time champion, and come out on top. But that’s exactly what happened to Marina Mabrey after her 53-point performance in the Toronto Tempo’s 125-97 win against the Los Angeles Sparks.
“What Marina did was something special,” Tempo coach Sandy Brondello said in the postgame press conference, per a video on the team’s YouTube channel. “I’ve been doing this for quite some time. I’ve never seen that. Even Diana Taurasi, and she could shoot it really well, so it was special to be a part of that, to witness that.”
Mabrey tied A’ja Wilson and Liz Cambage for the WNBA’s single-game scoring record, and is now only the fourth player in league history to crack the 50-point mark after Wilson, Cambage, and Riquna Williams, who scored 51 in 2013. Taurasi got close with 47 points in 2006 and with 44 in 2010—years before Brondello coached her—but never cracked the 50-point mark.
Mabrey got off to a quick start against the Sparks and never slowed down
Mabrey scored 19 points in the first quarter, sinking a few quick 3-pointers and getting to the free-throw line. Her quick start helped the Tempo get out to a 38-24 lead, leaving the Sparks so far behind that they never managed to close the gap despite 21-point performances from Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby.
Mabrey had found her rhythm in that first quarter, and the Sparks just had no answer. She shot 17-28 from the field, 9-18 from deep, and 10-12 from the free-throw line on her way to 53 points. It was an efficient outing, especially considering how many 3-pointers Mabrey took.
Mabrey may just be a 35.1% 3-point shooter for her career, but once she gets going, there’s little that can slow her down again. Earlier this year, she made 10 3-pointers on her way to 47 points to set the Unrivaled single-game scoring record on a historic night in Philadelphia.
Julie Allemand put together a playmaking masterclass
Marina Mabrey may have been the star of the show—and deservedly so—but Julie Allemand also tied a WNBA record. She finished the game with 13 points on 100% shooting from the field and from deep, 14 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 0 turnovers.
Allemand is now tied with Veronica Burton, Leila Lacan, and Jennifer Rizzotti for the most assists with 0 turnovers in a WNBA game. The Belgian star regularly found Mabrey and admitted after the game that she was specifically looking to get her as many shots as possible.
Most assists with 0 turnovers in a game in WNBA history:
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) June 26, 2026
Julie Allemand - 14 (tonight)
Veronica Burton - 14
Leila Lacan - 14
Jennifer Rizzotti - 14
Another record tied in Toronto. pic.twitter.com/je1FepiDyb
Mabrey will have to continue to step up if the Tempo are to survive Brittney Sykes’s injury, but others will have to help. So, it’s great to see Allemand with a strong game as well. Maria Conde and Laura Juskaite were also very impactful. Conde made three 3-pointers on her way to 13 points, and Juskaite recorded a double-double.
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.