Marina Mabrey 👏 Marina Mabrey 👏 Ma 👏 ri 👏 na 👏 Ma 👏 brey! Marina lead the Tempo to a huge win against the Sparks 125 to 97 on Thursday with a league record-breaking 53 points! The team had their foot on the gas the entire game and never let off.
The Good
It wasn’t just a great night for Mabrey. Julie Allemand set a career record with 14 assists. Conde, Nurse, Juskaite, and Allemand all scored in double digits. Even with the team primarily feeding Mabrey, they still spread the love.
Not only did everyone play well tonight, the team looked like it was having serious fun. The chemistry and camaraderie really showed itself throughout the game. I suppose it’s hard to not be having a good time when you’re up 20 points and the stadium is electric.
Some have worried that our offense will suffer with Slim being on the sidelines, but it really feels like everyone has stepped up to fill their role.
“I think tonight was just my night from the 3 point line – and honestly everywhere…” – Marina Mabrey
Mabrey showed a very comprehensive offensive performance. She had the first bucket of the night from mid-range, several drives to the basket, had a few put-backs, and in signature Mabrey style dropped X 3 pointers (many from deep). Mabrey says she is still becoming the player she wants to be and we can’t wait to see what’s coming!
The Bad
The Sparks were coming off a huge win against New York on Sunday, but missing some key players; Cameron Brink’s ankle still looks like a tomato, and Kelsey Plum has re-injured her ankle. This shouldn’t take away from the win, or Mabrey’s amazing achievements, but it needs to be kept in perspective. By no means are we going to score 125 aginst teams like Minnesota or Las Vegas. But it is a good look at what the team can do when all cylinders are firing and we have some hot shooters who we get down-hill early.
Our bigs are back, but early in the game Atkins fouled Sabally in what can only be called a collision. Sabally spent the next few minutes rotating and holding her wrist. Hopefully this isn’t the start of a more serious injury, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.
The Outlook
Today (Saturday) the Tempo play Phoenix. Last time the teams met (May 19, 2026), the Tempo walked away with a 98-90 win with both Sykes and Mabrey putting up 30+ points a piece. Not having Sykes could hurt here. That said, Sabally and Harrison missed that game; this time the Tempo will have a lot more pressure in the paint. This combined with Alyssa Thomas being suspended for the game, and maybe we’ll have another home blowout!?
Comments
One response to “Tempo vs Sparks Game Report – June 25, 2026”
[…] Mabrey, coming off a historic 53 point game, was ruled out right before the game after suffering neck spasms during warmups. Without Mabrey as […]