The polarising Marina Mabrey can’t be stopped.

The fiery Connecticut Sun star always manages to find herself in a controversy of some kind. Often, she is the main subject. Remember the Caitlin Clark incident? After Jacy Sheldon poked Clark in the eye while defending, she retaliated. Mabrey came from nowhere to knock Clark to the floor. That was the ignition to the brawl that erupted later. Now, Mabrey has found herself in another such situation. This time in Unrivaled. 

Playing for the Lunar Owls against the Breeze, it was a close game. Breeze, led by Paige Bueckers, Dominique Malonga, and Rickea Jackson were up 36-30. Jackson had the ball on the wing. Like the great driver she is, the Sparks star tried to go to the rim when Marina Mabrey rammed into her. Jackson immediately went down and was there for a while. She was examined by the medical staff on the sidelines.

“You know, for her to stay down, she probably felt it,” the broadcaster said on air. Jackson did not look happy with the foul as she talked with the referees from the bench. This wasn’t the first time Mabrey has been involved in something like this during Unrivaled this season. On the opening night, she shoved Sug Sutton before being pushed back by Sutton and Shakira Austin. A common foul was called on Mystics’ star, while all three were assessed technical fouls.

This time around, it was a common foul for Mabrey. But the incident once again brought her contentious nature under scrutiny. However, some fans advocated for the Lunar Owls’ star as well. 

Marina Mabrey –Rickea Jackson Dust-Up Sparks Fan Debate

“Wtf is wrong with Marina Mabrey, man. How many dirty plays is she gonna have in her career ?? 🚨” asked a fan. Mabrey is used to such rough situations. Coming up through Jersey’s gritty outdoor hoops, she never had much choice but to play tough. That edge has stayed with her. Now, her fiery nature invites such clashes. In the WNBA, there are few players she hasn’t scuffled with.

Just three days ago, Mabrey clashed with Courtney Williams after they got tied up getting a rebound. Both Mabrey and Williams were assessed a technical foul on the play.

But, at least as far as public information goes, Mabrey does not have any personal enmity with any player. She even admitted to ‘overreacting’ in the Caitlin Clark incident. “Me and Caitlin were cool,” she said. “Me and Caitlin have competed against each other in the playoffs. She threw me into the benches in the quarterfinals. We didn’t go after her for it. She’s competitive, and I was about to get the ball. I get it. Throw me out of bounds. We got back up and kept competing.”

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However, some fans still feel there should be some penalty for such repeated incidents. 

WNBA and women’s basketball in general have been criticised for being too physical. The WNBA hasn’t yet implemented the “Freedom of Movement” rules. The NBA’s Freedom of Movement rule basically means defenders aren’t allowed to slow down or throw off an offensive player by grabbing, holding, pushing, or using their hands too much. It’s meant to let players move freely.

Plus, refereeing still lags. Even during the Clark incident, many felt an ejection would’ve sent a statement. So, the women’s game needs to fix that first before assessing the overly physical plays.

“Not a legitimate play on the ball, either an unsportsmanlike foul,” wrote another fan. The shove from Mabrey on Jackson was clearly a foul. It wasn’t basketball-related contact. The ball was well away from where Mabrey was aiming. Whether it was ‘unsportsmanlike’ depends on perspective. Still, amid the criticism, there were fans who sided with the star.

“This is prob the only time I will defend Marina. The girl barely pushed her. Rickea just flopped and complained bc it didn’t go their way; she was doing it all game,” opined a fan. “That is a flop,” wrote another.

Now, there is a possibility that it looked worse on camera. When a player is full steam ahead, a small force can disrupt the momentum. Despite that, it still causes a lot of pain, and the reaction from Jackson could be warranted as well.