Marina Mabrey earned her first All-Star nod this week, but Wednesday's outing against Golden State gave her little to celebrate as the physical Valkyries defense took over.

Toronto fell 83-75 to the Valkyries, and Mabrey didn't hide her frustration with how the game was officiated.

"I feel like there's probably a difference between physicality and just absolutely fouling, you know? I'll keep my money, so I'll leave it that," Mabrey said while speaking with the media after the game, according to a post by Zulfi Sheikh on X.

This wasn't the first time Mabrey has bitten her tongue around officiating this season. Days earlier, she picked up a technical foul during Toronto's loss to Dallas, her second of the year, putting her on track for a $500 fine.

Mabrey reacted to that call on Threads instead of holding back. "Broooo that's not a tech. But Arike should pay my fine," Mabrey wrote in a post on Threads following the Dallas loss.

This is what had led to her careful choice of words this time around. With the amount of money that players were being fined for committing technical fouls rising with each one committed, the guarded words from Mabrey towards Golden State seemed to be a calculated one.

Toronto has now dropped three straight games and sits at 9-12 on the season. Despite the loss, Mabrey still managed 11 points, six rebounds and four assists in the setback.

Her frustration on the court hasn't overshadowed just how far Mabrey has come this season. That journey makes her rise to an All-Star even more remarkable.

Marina Mabrey's Long Road To All-Star Status

Mabrey is putting together a career-best year, averaging 21.1 points, 3.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game for Toronto. She earned her first All-Star nod as a reserve and even tied the WNBA single-game scoring record with 53 points back in June.

Getting here wasn't easy, though. It took eight years and five different teams for her to break through finally.

"Being the 19th pick, I wasn't supposed to be in the league still. I wasn't supposed to be on a team, I wasn't supposed to be playing, I wasn't supposed to be starting, I wasn't supposed to be a star," Mabrey said, reflecting on being drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2019.

Toronto sits at 9-12 after Wednesday's loss, and expansion teams naturally face growing pains. But with Mabrey playing this well, the Tempo always have a puncher's chance.

Do you think Mabrey can carry Toronto into playoff contention this season? Comment down below.

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Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta