Uncertainty in Connecticut continues as the Toronto Tempo select Sun guard Marina Mabrey in the first round of the 2026 expansion draft. Mabrey was the Sunโs second leading scorer last season right behind center Tina Charles.
Mabrey joins the Tempo as the unrestricted free agent they decided to pick and will have supermax rights during her free agency process. Toronto will also have the option to core Mabrey.
The Connecticut Sun released a statement via the WNBA:
Mabrey is an unrestricted free agent, meaning that Toronto may designate her as a โCoreโ player, giving the team exclusive negotiating rights to her in exchange for an offer of a one-year, fully guaranteed contract at the maximum salary and/or may be the only team that can negotiate a supermax contract with the player.
This all comes after the Connecticut Sun denied Mabreyโs trade request before the 2025 season after losing head coach Stephanie White and most of the 2024 season roster.
Mabrey was a huge asset offensively to the Sun and losing her will leave a scoring void that will need to be filled during the 2026 draft and free agency.
The Connecticut Sun finished the 2025 season with the worst offensive rating in the league (98.3) and averaged 75.9 points per game which was 12th in the league.
Notably, Toronto also selected Nikolina Miliฤ, whom the Sun had rights to previously.
“We were deliberate in assembling a roster built on versatility, depth, and competitiveness,” Toronto Tempo general manager Monica Rogers said via a WNBA press release. “This group brings leadership, defensive edge, and scoring across the floor, and every player was selected with a clear expectation to compete at a high level, hold the standard, and help define the culture weโre setting in Toronto.โ
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Possible free agency needs
They have a solid young front court in forwards Aneesah Morrow and Aaliyah Edwards led by the veteran leadership of Charles. The Sun donโt currently have a designated point guard as they would switch between guards such as Mabrey, Bria Hartley and Lindsay Allen last season.
They also may look to add more shooting guards, especially with the loss of Mabrey who has been known for her three-point shooting during her career.
Some notable guards that are free agents are Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride, Las Vegas Aces guards Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young, Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale and New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud. Some of these players come from championship contending teams and may be good options for the Sun but many may choose to resign with their teams instead.
Another factor that will come into play is the lingering lack of facilities and resources that the team currently has, going back to former forward Alyssa Thomasโ encounters with childrenโs birthday parties interrupting their practice time.
Players know that Connecticut is one of the only franchises without a designated player facility and they never had plans to build one. Now after being purchased with a relocation to Houston in 2027, they will get those resources especially since the new CBA will require certain specifications for player facilities.
With almost the entire league other than players under rookie contracts being free agents this offseason anything could happen and staying in Connecticut for one season may not seem that bad to some players.
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Will the Sun see another huge roster turnover?
After missing the playoffs for the first time after eight consecutive postseason appearances, the Sun have high standards that they are reaching to meet again.
The franchise did see a huge roster turnover during the offseason after 2024, losing their entire starting lineup to trades or free agency. Guard Veronica Burton was also picked off by the Golden State Valkyries in the teams expansion draft.
The Sun may possibly see a huge turnover of their roster again with roughly half of their current players being eligible to participate in free agency talks.
The players that hold a current roster spot on the Sun are Edwards, Morrow, center/forward Rayah Marshall and guards Leila Lacan and Saniya Rivers.
Players that are currently unrestricted free agents and will be able to negotiate with any team with no restrictions are, guards Lindsay Allen and Bria Hartley and center Tina Charles.
Center Olivia Nelson-Ododa and forward/guard Haley Peters are both restricted free agents, meaning if the Sun are able to and willing to match any qualifying offer from another team they can keep either player.
Nelson-Ododa averaged 8.2 points, five rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game for the Sun last season. If she was left unprotected during the expansion draft and didn’t get picked, Connecticut may have gotten lucky.
As a key role player for the team last season and a top candidate for the league’s most improved player award, Nelson-Ododa is an x-factor for the Sun and can make a significant impact again this upcoming season.
Defensive identity
Connecticut depended on their defense heavily last season especially during Mabreyโs left knee injury caused her to be out for just over four weeks, missing nine regular season games. The defensive prowl they had became a part of this youthful teamโs identity.
Rivers has a strong defensive presence and was even a candidate for multiple defensive awards last season including All-Defensive team. She has a knack to find the ball and strip it from her opponents and effectively uses her athleticism to block taller opponents shots.
Her defense has created many offensive opportunities for the team last season especially in transition. Rivers isnโt the only strong defender on the team, Lacan is a reliable defender as well.
Despite Rivers and Lacan pestering opponents, they finished the season with the 12th best defensive rating in the league. It seems at times the team had defensive lapses which could be due to various reasons such as fatigue with the lack of depth the roster currently has and even chemistry.
After spending a full season as a team their chemistry began to translate onto the court but the team will probably look to add more depth in any area possible. Sitting at nearly the bottom of the standings for most of last season, the team is in a rebuilding era which will carry over when they are relocated to Houston for the 2027 WNBA season.
The news of the relocation may work in Connecticutโs favor by attracting free agents who are interested in playing in Houston, a huge sports city with a lot of culture.
Free agency is set to begin today with the designation period, which includes sending qualifying offers to players and determining core players. This first period will end on Tuesday followed by negotiaions running through Friday.
Teams will begin signing players on Saturday with the WNBA draft approaching quickly and set to take place in one week on April 13.