Not even Diana Taurasi's former coach could believe Marina Mabrey's 53-point game

Marina Mabrey’s 53-point performance drew astonishment even from a coach with elite pedigree, underscoring the magnitude of her surge for the Toronto Tempo. Sandy Brondello, head coach of the Tempo and one of the league’s most successful active coaches, said she had “never seen anything like that” after Mabrey tied the WNBA record with 53 points in a 125–97 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday night. Brondello referenced Diana Taurasi’s career high of 47 points set on Aug. 10, 2006, highlighting that Mabrey’s 53 in regulation—along with nine 3-pointers—surpassed that benchmark. The article attributes part of Mabrey’s impact to Toronto’s backcourt adjustments after Brittney Sykes suffered a foot injury. Over the past three games, Sykes averaged 37.7 points per contest, while Mabrey’s own 21.2 points per game ranks fourth in the WNBA and is a career high. With the Tempo 9–9, they remain in the playoff race nearly halfway through the season.