The Toronto Tempo have suffered a major blow just before the WNBA resumes following a two-and-a-half-week pause for the FIBA World Cup.
What happened to Marina Mabrey?
Tempo star guard Marina Mabrey has been ruled out for the remainder of the WNBA season, the team confirmed Wednesday.
According to the team’s statement, Mabrey will miss the rest of the campaign while dealing with a right adductor injury.
However, the 30-year-old guard will not require surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.
Tempo’s injury list grows
Mabrey is the third Tempo player ruled out for the season, joining Brittany Sykes and Aneesah Morrow. She had already missed six games with a lingering injury.
Her most recent appearance came against the Indiana Fever in the third week of August. Mabrey finished that game with 22 points, along with three assists, one rebound, one block and one steal.
Mabrey recorded career-high stats
Across 32 appearances for Toronto, Mabrey averaged just over 29 minutes per game. She was putting together a career-best campaign, posting 20.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 44.1 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from three-point range and 88.1 percent from the free-throw line.
Mabrey had emerged as the Tempo’s leading scorer this season, making her absence particularly significant as the team heads into the final stretch of its inaugural campaign.
Toronto’s playoff hopes already ended
Toronto now has four games remaining without its leading scorer. The Tempo will return to action against the Fever on Friday, September 18, before taking on the New York Liberty, Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun in their final three games.
The Tempo had already been eliminated from playoff contention in August following a loss to the Washington Mystics. That game also marked the beginning of Mabrey’s six-game absence.
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Toronto’s inaugural season has been difficult, including a 12-game losing streak that ultimately ended its hopes of reaching the playoffs. The Tempo currently sit 13th in the standings with an 11-29 record.
