Under Armour agreed to donate $500 for every three-pointer made by Toronto Tempo star Marina Mabrey in the 3-Point Contest during WNBA All-Star events in Chicago this past weekend. Mabrey wasn’t sensational, but she did hit 13 three-pointers, which resulted in a $6500 donation to Black Women’s Institute for Health in Toronto.
After the All-Star Game, Mabrey, who scored a WNBA-record 53 points in single ganme this season, spoke about the donation with a delicate understanding of league history and the women who comprise it. The same women who are now often frowned upon by emerging new fans, hyper-focused on flipping the narrative, and making Caitlin Clark a victim of a league-wide conspiracy.
“Playing basketball, a lot of my colleagues, a lot of this league is made up of Black women, and I listen and I’m aware and I hear a lot of things that go on, and I think that they do not have the same access to health care that we have, and that’s not fair,” Mabrey said.
“I think that if I can do something to be an advocate for some of my closest friends and the people that I work with that built this league, that’s kind of where I want to put my money. I know that it’s a step in the right direction that people kind of have an awareness and they pay attention to it, so that more people can focus on the health of Black women as well as it relates to their health,” she added.
Marina Mabrey Endears Herself To WNBA’s Black Fan Base
The fact that Mabrey took the time to acknowledge the systemic road barriers that Black women face, even within the same health care system, made her an instant favorite of those who can relate to what she was saying.
“And this is the difference between the Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunninghams of the world, and this player, who understands that you cannot ‘love and respect’ communities of people when you are passively supporting their harm,” said one fan noting the difference between players such as Paige Bueckers and Mabrey compared to Clark and Cunningham.
“Another “favorite player” cheat code unlocked!” said another Black female fan.
“The donation is great. Key point to take away, ‘I listen.’ That’s the problem with a lot of folks, they fail to listen to those who are in the thick of it. Trust me, as a black woman, it would do folks a lot of good to find yourself a black woman and ask questions. Stop interjecting your experiences into the conversation. You will find out-we are not created equal, if folks only listened. Keep going, Marina,” a third fan said on X.
“Many communities still face barriers to quality care, delayed diagnoses, financial obstacles, and unequal treatment. We can acknowledge progress while also recognizing there’s still work to do. Kudos to her for being a part of the solution,” a user commented.
“I wasn’t a fan of hers before reading this… I am now,” said one fan.
“I mean also all the Mabrey sisters have black significant others so this isn’t a surprise they’re true jersey people,” a second fan clarified by adding some alleged personal information about Mabrey.
“Ugh. Marina really starting to make me like her this season,” said a fan of her former team, Connecticut Sun.
“That’s an ally right there. Much respect to Mabrey,” one user commented.
Does Caitlin Clark Need To Speak Out More? There Are Other White Superstars
There are white players in the WNBA outside of Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, but you would barely know it because of the obsession with proving how much better she is than everyone else. Watching Indiana Fever games can be difficult when social media is complaining about everything other than the game.
Clark hasn’t supported any acts of racism by her fans. She also hasn’t denounced them as consistently or strongly as the predominantly Black league would like amidst increasing social media attacks. She hasn’t actively fueled any of the negative issues that have arisen on social media. Or the insults and insanities fans have directed towards WNAB players. In the eyes of some, she also hasn’t totally shut the bs down.
Mabrey’s actions speak directly to an understanding of issues Black women in the WNBA have been fighting to bring to light for decades.
Aside from Clark, there are other white superstars in the WNBA, who fail to get mentioned as often. Paige Buckers’ name rings bells, but she still hasn’t reached Clark status in the algorithms. Sabrina Ionescu and others.
