Marina Mabrey is never afraid to mix it up with opponents, whether she’s playing for the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun or the Lunar Owls in Unrivaled.
She recently discussed how her confrontational style can work for her team, and how it can go sideways, like in June against the Indiana Fever.
“I’m 100% aware. I know when I went too far with things. It’s like shameful. It’s like, that was ridiculous,” Mabrey said of her shoving the Fever’s Caitlin Clark to the court during a game in June.
“That was obvious that my emotions of us losing and losing and losing, and then she’s like lowkey punking our team. (My response) was too far. That was too much.”
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She said trading shoves with Sug Sutton in an Unrivaled season opener served a purpose.
“(That) was perfect,” Mabrey said. “It was just enough that it fueled me and the team.”
Mabrey leads the 3-on-3 league, averaging 26.8 points per game.
Marina Mabrey knocks down Caitlin Clark
When the Fever played the Sun on June 17, the Sun’s Jacy Sheldon slapped Clark in the face while Clark was dribbling the ball. Clark shoved Sheldon in response. Mabrey came from behind Clark and knocked her to the court.
Clark, Mabrey, and Connecticut’s Tina Charles were assessed technical fouls, and Sheldon a flagrant foul.
Indiana led by 10 points at the time on the way to an 88-71 win.
“When we were in Indiana, everyone’s booing us, we feel like (expletive),” Mabrey said. “It’s like, ‘Marina, that’s your fault, buddy. You can’t do that.'”
In the final minute, the Fever’s Sophie Cunningham pulled a dribbling Sheldon to the court. Cunningham, Sheldon and Connecticut’s Lindsay Allen were ejected.
Mabrey and Cunningham were fined for their actions.
Marina Mabrey fights in WNBA, Unrivaled
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Marina Mabrey admits shoving Caitlin Clark ‘was too far’ when Fever hosted Sun last season
Reporting by Scott Horner, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
