Marina Mabrey just joined one of the WNBA’s most exclusive clubs: The history behind every 50-point game originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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For nearly 30 years, scoring 50 points in a WNBA game has been one of basketball’s rarest accomplishments. Thousands of regular-season games have been played since the league tipped off in 1997. Hall of Famers have come and gone. MVPs have dominated entire seasons. Yet only three players have ever reached the magical 50-point mark.
Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey became the latest member of that exclusive fraternity Thursday night, erupting for 53 points against the Los Angeles Sparks to tie the WNBA’s all-time single-game scoring record. Her performance wasn’t just another big scoring night. It was the latest chapter in one of the league’s most exclusive records.
Every 50-point game in WNBA history
53 points — Liz Cambage (July 17, 2018)
For five years, Liz Cambage stood alone. Playing for the Dallas Wings against the New York Liberty, the 6-foot-8 center completely overwhelmed New York with an unstoppable inside-outside performance.
Cambage finished with 53 points on an astonishing 17-for-22 shooting while also going 15-for-16 from the free-throw line. At the time, many believed the record might never be challenged.
53 points — A’ja Wilson (Aug. 22, 2023)
Five years later, A’ja Wilson reminded everyone why she’s one of the greatest players the WNBA has ever seen. The Las Vegas Aces superstar matched Cambage’s record with 53 points against the Atlanta Dream, doing much of her damage from the mid-range and in the paint while leading the defending champions.
Wilson’s masterpiece cemented her place alongside Cambage in the record books.
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53 points — Marina Mabrey (June 25, 2026)
Now it’s Marina Mabrey’s turn. The Toronto Tempo star caught fire almost immediately, scoring 27 points by halftime before turning the second half into a shooting exhibition.
She finished 17-for-28 from the field, drilled nine three-pointers—tying another WNBA single-game record—and knocked down 10 of 12 free throws. With two minutes remaining, the entire arena knew history was within reach.
Fans chanted “We Want Mabrey!” after she briefly checked out before returning for one final push at owning the record outright. Her final two three-point attempts missed, leaving her tied with Cambage and Wilson at 53.
Even so, it was one of the greatest offensive performances the league has ever witnessed.
So close to history
Several stars have flirted with the 50-point barrier over the years. Diana Taurasi scored 47 points in 2006. Breanna Stewart dropped 45 during her MVP season.
Caitlin Clark has already produced multiple 40-point games early in her career, while numerous stars—including Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd and Sabrina Ionescu- have threatened the milestone.
But reaching 50 remains incredibly elusive.
That’s what makes Mabrey’s night feel so special. A performance that will live forever
The numbers alone are staggering. Fifty-three points. Nine made three-pointers. A franchise-record performance. The highest-scoring regulation game in Toronto Tempo history.
And now, a permanent place beside Liz Cambage and A’ja Wilson in one of the WNBA’s most exclusive record books. Records are made to be broken, but after nearly three decades of WNBA basketball, only three players have ever climbed to 53 points. On Thursday night in Toronto, Marina Mabrey made sure her name will forever be remembered alongside them.
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