The Connecticut sun sticks to Marina Mabrey, even after the guard requested to be traded earlier this month.
Connecticut shot down that request and got Mabrey’s agent, Marcus Crenshaw from the FAM agency, to strongly criticize the sun and their decision not to go out and do a trade.
“At this current age of women’s empowerment and support from the players, the CT sun threatens to force Marina Mabrey to play for them after her trade request is astonishing,” Crenshaw said in a statement issued to ESPN on Tuesday. “Why would anyone try to force someone to play on their team when they don’t want to be there?
“It is counterproductive in lots of ways and everyone we have talked to is confused about how they handle marina … The coach divorced. No free agents returned and they do everything they can to try to force marina to stop when she clearly does not want be there.
Team president Jennifer Rizzotti insists that Connecticut wants to build around Mabrey, and she also does not feel comfortable shopping for a player who costs so much to get. The sun sent Rachel Banham, Moriah Jefferson, their draft for the first round of 2025 and a 2026 pick change to Chicago Sky last season to get Mabrey.
Mabrey had requested a trade while he was in Chicago, which led to the store with Connecticut.
“The reasons we have for not shopping marina are rooted in positivity,” Rizzotti told ESPN. “It is anchored in a desire to build around her, get her here, make her be the catalyst for what we want to do offensively and take advantage of her versatility.”
The sun has been dismantled this season and lost Alyssa Thomas, Brionna Jones and Dewanna Bonner, among others.
Mabrey, 28, played in a total of 40 games (27 starts) last season during his time with The Sky and the Sun. She was an average of 14.4 points, 4.4 returns and 4.1 assists.
Connecticut comes from a season 28-12. The sun reached the WNBA semi -final, where they lost to Minnesota Lynx in five matches.
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