Connecticut Sun star requests trade amid uncertain offseason

Marina Mabrey was a standout for the Sun last season — shooting 42.3% from three. But now, the elite guard reportedly wants.

Marina Mabrey has requested a trade from Connecticut, ESPN’s Alexa Phillippou reported on Wednesday evening. The news isn’t shocking considering her stated desire to play for a contender, but it nonetheless creates another obstacle for the Sun moving forward. If she is indeed traded, it will be the fifth trade of her WNBA career.

Mabrey, a 28-year-old guard, averaged 14.4 points and 4.1 assists per game last season. She was traded from the Chicago Sky to the Connecticut Sun in the middle of the year and was an integral part of Sun’s postseason run. She shot 42.4% from three in 16 regular season games after the trade and helped Connecticut come within a game of the WNBA Finals. For her career, she’s a 36.5% shooter with significant range and a penchant for scoring.

But, the team that Mabrey was thrilled to join in July is no more. Alyssa Thomas has been traded to the Phoenix Mercury, DeWanna Bonner signed with the Indiana Fever as a free agent, DiJonai Carrington, and Ty Harris landed with the Dallas Wings via trade, and Veronica Burton was selected by the Golden State Valkyries in their expansion draft. The only returning rotation player is forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa, who averaged 3.4 points in 11.8 minutes per game last season.

So, if Mabrey were to return to Connecticut, she’d instantly be one of the Sun’s primary scoring options. But, the roster as it currently stands doesn’t seem set up for postseason success. Currently under contract for 2025 are Mabrey, Natasha Cloud, Tina Charles, Lindsay Allen, Diamond DeShields, Jacy Sheldon, Caitlin Bickle, Mya Hollingshed, Robyn Parks, and Olivia Nelson-Ododa.

But, Mabrey’s agent, The FAM’s Marcus Crenshaw, told ESPN that Mabrey wants to play elsewhere ahead of the 2025 season.

Mabrey has played for four teams in her 6-year WNBA career — and she’s been traded four times. She was drafted in the second round by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2019, but was traded to the Dallas Wings ahead of the 2020 season. Then, in 2023, she was traded to the Dallas Wings, where she spent one season before being traded to the Chicago Sky.

Presumably, the Sun would want a young piece and some picks in exchange for the sharpshooter. But, they’re also not fully heading toward a rebuild, having just signed 36-year-old veteran Tina Charles, the second-leading scorer in WNBA history. So, exactly which direction they’ll go remains to be seen.