Marina Mabrey suffered a strain in her right calf during training camp that is expected to keep her out for 2-4 weeks, the new unrivaled 3-on-3 women’s professional basketball league announced Friday.
Mabry, a member of the Phantom Club, underwent an MRI at Mount Sinai with team physician Dr. Danica Vance, which revealed the strain. She will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Unparalleled injury update:
Phantoms BC guard Marina Mabrey suffered a right calf injury during training camp and will be re-evaluated in 2-4 weeks.
– Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) January 16, 2025
The lucky thing for the Phantoms is that they are one of five 6-man clubs. Even without Mabrey, they will start the season with five healthy players — like the Lunar Owls, who have five healthy players (plus Cameron Brink, who will miss this season recovering from a torn ACL).
The rest of the team — Sato Sabally, Brittney Griner, Natasha Cloud, Katie Lou Samuelson, and Sabrina Ionescu — will have to step up in her absence, which could end up being the first half of the 9-week season.
Unparalleled includes 36 WNBA stars. The 1-on-1 league tournament is scheduled to begin on February 10, so Mabrey could be in danger of missing that as well.
Mabrey, a Connecticut Sun guard, averaged 14.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists during the 2024 season. She was traded from the Chicago Sky to Connecticut midway through the season, and was one of the team’s most consistent contributors in the postseason, averaging 15.9 points per game. Playoffs. She sprained her ankle in the Suns’ final postseason game — a loss to the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference — but made a full recovery in time for training camp.
Without Mabry, the Phantoms still have plenty of firepower. Head coach Adam Harrington will look to utilize Ionescu and Cloud’s playmaking and shooting abilities, as well as Sabally’s versatility in both directions.
Sabrina Ionescu has been given full clearance to play Unrivaled
Ionescu is not 100 percent after undergoing surgery last month to repair a tear in her right thumb, but she said Thursday she is fit to play.
“[The recovery] “It’s been sped up a little bit,” Ionescu said. “If this hadn’t happened, I probably could have taken more time in rehab, allowing it to heal. But I’ve been given full clearance by the doctors for me to be able to play and continue my rehab while I’m here and get live reps.
Ionescu also noted Thursday that she has several excused absences throughout the season and won’t be there the entire time — including missing a few days for NBA All-Star weekend.
“They were very helpful knowing that I had obligations to fulfill, being able to work through that with them and knowing that I wanted to be here, fully committed to my teammates and this team,” Ionescu said.
Before Mabry was injured Bleacher Nikias Duncan report Expect Phantom to be the ultimate club in a world unlike any other.
