Marina Mabrey’s scoring masterclass highlights exclusive list of Raptors players

Thursday was Marina Mabrey’s day. The Toronto Tempo star scored 53 points on 17-28 shooting from the field and 9-18 from deep in just 32 minutes, leading her team to a dominant 125-97 win over the Los Angeles Sparks. 

Mabrey tied A’ja Wilson and Liz Cambage for the WNBA’s single-game scoring record and etched her name into Toronto basketball history. Her 53 points are the second most in a game by a professional basketball player, men’s or women’s, in Toronto. She also played the fewest minutes of any 50-point scorers in Toronto professional basketball. 

Fred VanVleet, who won a title with the Raptors in 2019, is the only Toronto player with more points than Mabrey. He scored 54 points in a 123-108 win against the Orlando Magic on February 3, 2021. He went 17-23 from the field, including 11 made 3-pointers in 37 minutes, and also recorded 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. 

Only four other Toronto players scored 50+ points in a game

Fred VanVleet owns the Raptors’ single-game scoring record, but four other players have scored 50 or more points in a game so far. Vince Carter was the first Raptors player to reach that mark. He scored 51 points on 17-32 shooting from the field and 4-8 from the 3-point line in a one-point win against the Phoenix Suns in 2000. 

Terrence Ross matched that number 14 years later when he put up 51 points on 16-29 shooting from the field and 10-17 shooting from long range in a losing effort to the LA Clippers. 

DeMar DeRozan was the first Raptors player to exceed Carter’s record. He put up 52 points on 17-29 shooting from the field and 5-9 from deep to lead the Raptors to a four-point overtime win against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2018. 

Pascal Siakam was the most recent Raptor to crack the 50-point mark. He scored 52 points in a 113-106 win over the New York Knicks in 2022. What sets that performance apart from VanVleet’s and Mabrey’s scoring outbursts is that he only made two 3-pointers and also flirted with a triple-double with nine rebounds and 7 assists. 

The Tempo hopes to treat fans in Toronto to another playoff run

When the Raptors made the playoffs this season, they ended a three-year drought. The Tempo set a clear goal of replicating the Raptors’ success and becoming just the second WNBA expansion team to make the playoffs in its first season when they picked experienced role players in the expansion draft rather than chasing young players with untapped potential. 

The Tempo’s 9-9 record has them in ninth place currently—just outside the playoff picture. Moving past the Washington Mystics and Indiana Fever will be an uphill climb with Brittney Sykes sidelined for a few weeks with a foot injury, but if Mabrey can continue to score at such a high level, the playoffs are still well within reach, especially if Julie Allemand keeps up her flawless playmaking. She recorded 14 assists and 0 turnovers. 

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