The Sparks were already getting run off the floor. They were trailing by over 20 points, and the atmosphere on the Los Angeles sideline was as tense as you would expect in those circumstances. The foul calls weren’t helping either. It got to a point where coach Lynne Roberts could not hold it in any longer, going after the referees and earning herself a technical foul.

That specific moment came early in the third quarter of the game. To open the second half, Sparks guard Ariel Atkins picked up her fourth personal foul of the game. That was the call that pushed Lynne Roberts over the edge.

In a video shared by an X user, she appeared on camera shouting from the sidelines: “You’re awful, she’s awful. Help her out.” That reaction, of course, earned her a technical foul.

Although both teams ended the game with the same 23 fouls in total, the timing of those whistles appeared to hurt Los Angeles far more.

Their fouls heavily involved their core perimeter defenders. Starting guards Ariel Atkins and Erica Wheeler spent much of the night battling foul trouble, forcing the Sparks to constantly adjust their defensive rotations. The Atkins sequence that triggered Roberts’ explosion was particularly telling. She had played just seven minutes before picking up her fourth foul.

The foul trouble certainly didn’t help the Sparks’ cause, but it was only part of the story. Toronto shot a blistering 81% from the field in the opening quarter and repeatedly capitalized on LA’s defensive breakdowns, allowing Marina Mabrey to put together a historic performance. The veteran guard erupted for 53 points, tying the WNBA single-game scoring record, as Toronto cruised to a 125-97 victory.

The Sparks were already shorthanded entering the matchup. Kelsey Plum remained sidelined with a lower-leg injury, while Cameron Brink was unavailable because of an ankle sprain, leaving Los Angeles without two of its biggest contributors on either end of the floor.

Both players are also expected to miss the Sparks’ upcoming matchup against the Indiana Fever, leaving Roberts with another difficult task as Los Angeles looks to bounce back.

Lynne Roberts Tips Hat to Marina Mabrey’s Historic Night Amid Sparks’ Disappointing Loss to Toronto

As difficult as the night was for the Los Angeles Sparks, the performance on the other side of the floor was something even their own head coach had to acknowledge. Marina Mabrey‘s display was simply too extraordinary to dismiss, and Lynne Roberts made a point of giving credit where it was overwhelmingly due.

“I think we ran into a team that shot the ball. The first quarter they shot 81%,” Roberts said in her postgame press conference. “I’m not saying we played great D. I’m just saying, you know, she’s an incredible scorer and you have to tip your hat to her tonight. She was tremendous.” 

Beyond the 53 points, Mabrey also contributed six rebounds and two assists. And she was quite efficient with her shooting too. She shot 60.7% from the field, 50.0% from three-point range, and 83.3% from the free-throw line.

And the 53 points wasn’t even the only record that she equaled on the night. By sinking nine three-pointers, Mabrey also tied the WNBA record for the most three-pointers made in a single game. In fact, she was equalling this three-point record for the second time in just one week, as she also scored nine three-pointers in the preceding game against the New York Liberty.

Like Roberts said, you just have to tip your hat to that performance. As Lynne Roberts said, you simply have to tip your hat to a performance like that.