Sandy Brondello is coming off quite the World Cup experience. The Australian coach watched her World Cup squad take hit after hit. Alanna Smith, Ezi Magbegor, and Jade Melbourne all became unavailable, leaving the Opals with just nine fit players for their quarterfinal clash against Spain. And guess what? Just as the WNBA was about to return, the Toronto Tempo coach got hit with a concerning Marina Mabrey update.

“The Toronto Tempo announce Marina Mabrey is OUT for the remainder of the season, but will make a full recovery from her adductor injury,” TSN Sports reporter Chelsea Leite first shared on X on Wednesday.

This update comes after Mabrey’s recent absence from the lineup. She last played on August 18, putting up 22 points in the Tempo’s 101-95 loss to Indiana. But ahead of their must-win game against the Washington Mystics, Mabrey’s name appeared on the team’s injury report as “doubtful” with a right hamstring injury.

Without Marina in the lineup, Toronto’s playoff hopes were officially dashed after their loss to the Mystics. But the bad news didn’t stop there. The former Connecticut Sun guard was listed as “out” with a right adductor injury the next day.

It’s a shame her season has to end this way, especially when she was putting together the best statistical season of her career.

In the 32 games she has played this season, Mabrey averaged 20.8 points (6th in the league), 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 0.9 steals per game. She also knocked down 3.3 three-pointers per game, tied for the most in the league.

What makes Mabrey’s numbers even more impressive is how efficiently she has been putting them up. She is shooting 44.1% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the arc. And that efficiency has helped produce some big scoring nights.

The Tempo guard has six 30-point performances this season, including a 53-point game against the Sparks in June that tied the WNBA’s single-game scoring record.

Unfortunately for Mabrey and the Tempo, those big performances haven’t translated into as many wins as they would have liked. The first-year franchise has an 11-29 record with just four games left, and there’s not much left to play for.

The injury update might make sense given Toronto’s situation, but fans still wanted one more glimpse of the sharpshooter before the season wrapped up.

WNBA fans are sad to see Marina Mabrey sidelined amid “crazy” season

It’s safe to say that Toronto fans, while knowing that their team is out of the playoffs, were still hoping to see Mabrey finish her season on a high.

Under the injury update shared by @UnderdogWNBA on X, many fans expressed their disappointment.

“Not good; she had games where her shooting was crazy. Wish her a speedy recovery,” one fan wrote, referring to her signature performances this season.

In her 53-point game against the Sparks, Mabrey shot 17-of-28 from the floor and tied the league’s single-game record with nine made three-pointers, cementing her place in WNBA history alongside A’ja Wilson (2023) and Liz Cambage (2018).

“D—, she was having a crazy season too,” another fan wrote.

“The tempo can’t catch a break 😭,” wrote another, referring to the persistent injuries that Mabrey and other Tempo players have suffered this season.

For Sandy Brondello, this has been a recurring theme throughout the season. Brittney Sykes was shut down for the remainder of the season in late August after suffering a left foot injury against the Portland Fire. Aneesah Morrow was also ruled out after that game with a left knee injury. And the injury list doesn’t end there.

Rookie Kiki Rice missed eight weeks with a severe ankle injury, while Isabelle Harrison and Nyara Sabally have also spent time on the sidelines.

Harrison missed time with a hand injury before later dealing with a foot issue, while Sabally was sidelined with neck and rib injuries. Center Temi Fagbenle also missed the first 10 games of the season with a Grade 2 right shoulder AC joint sprain before sitting out another seven games due to a concussion and an eye injury.

“SMH, who’s 3s am I supposed to bet on now?” one fan said online, seemingly because Mabrey is tied for the most three-pointers made in the league per game with Rhyne Howard, at 3.3.

Meanwhile, a few fans suggested that the Tempo might be shutting Mabrey down with only four games left.

“IYKYK, she ain’t injured; they just shutting her down bc they not making the playoffs no point in risking an injury,” wrote one fan.

“Ya know she wouldn’t be back for 4-ish games lmfao,” added another.

While this season may not have yielded the desired results for Tempo, which is quite normal for expansion teams, the franchise’s future core is solid. With Mabrey, Sykes, Kiki Rice, and Aneesah Morrow, head coach Sandy Brondello can build a team that will be in playoff contention for years to come.

The Tempo take on the Indiana Fever in their next game on Friday, September 18.