The Sun made plenty of headlines this offseason. Most of them were not great. First, they lost their entire starting five, suddenly going from a borderline contender to a team that can’t escape a rebuild. Then, Marina Mabrey asked for a trade. She had come to the Sun at the 2024 trade deadline, wanting to join a contender. Playing for the worst team in the league wasn’t what she had signed up for.
In a controversial move, the Sun denied Mabrey’s trade request. It seemed the Sun were set up for disaster, but Mabrey showed up and played through the losses, trying her best to keep the team afloat before suffering an injury that kept her out a couple of games. A 34-point performance in a huge 84-76 win over the Atlanta Dream has been the highlight of Mabrey’s season so far.
With the trade deadline looming and Mabrey still on the Sun’s roster, the organization finds itself in a surprising position to impact the playoff race. Mabrey could be a difference-maker for several teams hoping to win in the playoffs.
Marina Mabrey would be an interesting trade target for at least three teams
The playoff standings are incredibly close this season. Only the Minnesota Lynx have been able to truly separate themselves. Everyone else is packed tightly together, and several teams will likely look to make a move before the trade deadline to boost the roster and try to set themselves apart.
Mabrey is a scoring guard who can put up big numbers, space the floor—even though she hasn’t shot the three well so far this season—and defend at a high level. Having a player like Mabrey could make a real difference for several teams hoping to boost their rosters before the playoffs.
Minnesota, for example, could use another guard/wing who can provide everything Mabrey does. Bridget Carleton’s shooting has been very inconsistent this season, Karlie Samuelson suffered a season-ending injury, and Cheryl Reeve clearly doesn’t fully trust Diamond Miller yet. When the Lynx faced the Liberty for the first time this season, Natisha Hiedeman and Jessica Shepard were the only players who played big minutes off the bench.
Minnesota isn’t the only team that could use Mabrey’s services either. Seattle could also use a boost to break into the top of the standings. The All-Star trio of Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, and Gabby Williams has led the Storm to a bunch of wins. Still, they haven’t always looked quite on par with the Lynx, Liberty, and Mercury. Adding Mabrey to the mix could change that.
Last but not least, the Aces desperately need a boost. They currently have an underwhelming 14-13 record and are battling to secure one of the final playoff spots. A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young have to do a lot of the heavy lifting. The Aces traded for NaLyssa Smith earlier in the season, improving the frontcourt production behind Wilson. However, the guard and wing play is still a major question mark.
The Sun could get a great offer for Mabrey
Marina Mabrey would have drawn a lot of interest if the Sun had agreed to trade her in the offseason. However, now, in the middle of the season and with teams under immense pressure to improve, the interest may be even higher. Accordingly, the return will likely also be higher.
The Sun don’t have to trade Mabrey. She will be a free agent after the season, though, so trading her would guarantee that the Sun get something in return and don’t just lose her for nothing.