From one championship program to the next, 2018 National Champion Marina Mabrey joins the Sparks for her rookie season.
“Every team needs a player like Marina Mabrey,” Notre Dame Head Coach Muffet McGraw said.
During her four-year tenure as McGraw’s point guard, Mabrey achieved both personal and team success. The New Jersey native is Notre Dame’s all-time 3-point leader with 274, eighth all-time leading scorer with 1,896 points, finished with double-figure points in 96 games, and scored 20-plus points in 30 games. Mabrey sunk at least one 3-pointer in 24 consecutive games.
Swishing threes isn’t the only thing the 5’11 guard contributed to her team, Mabrey dished out 500 career assists, collected 233 career steals, and played in 144 games. But perhaps her on-court fieriness was what her teammates and coaches admired most.
“She’s very feisty,” said teammate Brianna Turner in Mabrey’s Senior Day video. “She’s someone you always want to play with, not against.”
A missed free throw was what separated Mabrey from a second National Championship ring. Nonetheless, her senior class left a lasting legacy on Notre Dame, going 64-2 at home in the four years with both losses to UConn. Mabrey and Arike Ogunbowale graduated with business degrees from Notre Dame, one of the top business schools in the country. Mabrey packed that business knowledge with her when moving to LA – the land of opportunity. The 22-year-old has branded her own athletic apparel line called “3mm”. Mabrey’s passion for fitness fits seamlessly into the LA lifestyle.
The rookie has other non-basketball related interests that fit into the Los Angeles lifestyle, “I see Kylie Jenner and other celebrities on Instagram with these crazy nails. I know they have great nail places in LA that can do all the cool designs, so I’m excited to try those out,” said Mabrey.
Mabrey understands that competing in the WNBA means staying focused and not getting distracted with all the free time. She frequently visits the gym in her off-time to catch up in terms of physicality and strength. Mabrey’s outstanding focus, concentration, and energy that she dedicates to the sport of basketball is what led her to becoming the 19th overall pick of the 2019 WNBA draft. All five of the Irish starters were drafted in the Top 20 of the 2019 draft.
Marina played alongside her older sister, Michaela, at Notre Dame during the 2015-16 season. Marina and Michaela are the first sister combination to play for the program since 1979. Michaela Mabrey, nicknamed “Mike”, had a high IQ for the game and unmatched charisma. She, too, had remarkable range and efficiency with her three-point shot – a Mabrey-sister staple. Younger sister, Dara Mabrey, broke Virginia Tech’s freshman 3-point record and ranked third in the nation with a threepoint field goal percentage of .462 during her freshman campaign. Mabrey is the third of Patti and Roy Mabrey’s five children.
Like Kobe Bryant on Twitter, we welcome Marina Mabrey to Los Angeles.
💸MONEY @mmabrey1 💸#GoSparks #LeadTheCharge pic.twitter.com/6pUyakEARw
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) June 16, 2019