UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Marina Mabrey put on a scoring clinic at Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday night, pouring in a game-high 37 points to power the Toronto Tempo past the Connecticut Sun, 101-97, in a high-octane contest that kept the home crowd on edge until the final buzzer.
Mabrey was virtually unstoppable from the perimeter, and the Tempo’s three-point shooting as a team was nothing short of extraordinary. Toronto connected on 19 of 34 attempts from beyond the arc, a blistering 56 percent clip that proved to be the decisive factor in the four-point road victory. The Tempo finished the night shooting 49 percent from the field overall and converted 8 of 9 free throw attempts, good for 89 percent — a near-flawless performance in efficiency across all three shooting categories.
Toronto’s ball movement was equally impressive. The Tempo racked up 27 assists on 37 made field goals, a reflection of the unselfish, flowing offense that kept Connecticut’s defense scrambling all night. Point guard Julie Allemand was the engine behind much of that playmaking, finishing with a team-best 9 assists. Center Temi Fagbenle added 9 rebounds to give Toronto a physical presence in the paint to complement the perimeter fireworks.
The Tempo also won the battle of the boards, pulling down 33 total rebounds — including 10 on the offensive glass — which gave Toronto critical second-chance opportunities throughout the game. Those extra possessions helped the visitors sustain their offensive output even when shots weren’t falling cleanly.
For Connecticut, the loss stings in part because the Sun gave a competitive effort and had their own standout performers. Kennedy Burke led the Sun with 18 points, providing a consistent offensive option that kept Connecticut in striking distance. Aneesah Morrow was a force in the frontcourt, recording a double-double with 10 rebounds and a team-high 4 assists, demonstrating her versatility on both ends of the floor.
But the Sun simply could not keep pace with Mabrey’s relentless scoring. The Toronto guard’s 37-point performance was the kind of individual effort that changes the complexion of a game, and Connecticut had no reliable answer for her throughout the night. Despite playing in front of their home fans in Uncasville, the Sun were unable to generate enough stops when it mattered most.
Toronto did commit 15 turnovers on the night, a number that gave Connecticut opportunities to claw back into the game, and the Sun made it close enough to keep the outcome uncertain deep into the fourth quarter. The final margin of four points reflects just how competitive the contest was, even if the Tempo’s shooting efficiency ultimately proved decisive.
The 101-97 final gives Toronto a road victory that will carry significant weight as the young franchise continues to establish itself in the WNBA. For Connecticut, the defeat at home is a setback they will look to answer quickly, with Burke and Morrow showing they have the talent to compete with the league’s best on any given night.
