The first thing Connecticut Sun star Marina Mabrey did after leading the team to its first victory of the season over the Indiana Fever on Friday night was pull rookie Saniya Rivers into a hug with an ear-to-ear smile on her face.
The Sun arrived in Indianapolis as the only winless team left in the WNBA, and they knew the matchup presented a major opportunity with superstar Caitlin Clark sidelined by a quad strain. Mabrey put the team on her back after halftime, scoring 13 in the third quarter to finish with a season-high 26 points shooting 10-for-17. But even after entering the fourth ahead by nine, the Sun nearly had another late meltdown. The Fever went on a furious 19-2 run behind three straight 3-pointers from former Connecticut forward DeWanna Bonner and took a two-point lead with less than three minutes remaining on the clock.
When the Sun needed it most, Mabrey and Rivers stepped up. Rivers, who averaged 27.2% from 3-point range in her senior year at NC State, nailed a shot from nearly 30 feet out to end the run, improving her to 3-for-5 beyond the arc and giving Connecticut a two-score lead. Though Indiana’s Lexie Hull answered with a three of her own, Mabrey immediately hit a crisp midrange jumper to keep the Sun ahead. Rivers then drew a critical foul against Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell with five seconds on the clock, and though the nerves got to her on her first free throw attempt, she calmly sank the second that ultimately clinched the 85-83 victory for Connecticut.
“It was a little scary, but I think that we stayed together as a team this time,” Mabrey said. “That’s something that we’ve been talking about at practice, at film and there were some hard conversations we had to have, but when you have those conversations, it really helps bring your team together. I feel like that’s what helped us come together at the end, knowing that if we just stick together, we will come out on top.”
The connection between Mabrey and Rivers was at the heart of the full-team effort. Rivers finished with a career-high six assists, three of which went to Mabrey, and Mabrey also had the assist on Rivers’ first 3-pointer of the game. The rookie, who finished with 12 points, had the highest plus-minus rating on the team at plus-14, and she combined with Mabrey for seven of the team’s 10 made threes in the win.
The 22-year-old from North Carolina never expected the close friendship she’s developed with the 28-year-old New Jersey native, but she said their relationship outside of basketball has had a quick impact on their in-game chemistry.
“I feel like this is the most random friendship ever,” Rivers said. “I think no one expected it for real, but I think we gel really well. Obviously I look for her on the court because I feel like she’s the best shooter on our team, so I’m gonna look to get the ball in her hands, but I just feel like we flow. I don’t force it, it just happens that she’s there. That connection comes off the court, too. We hang out a lot, do TikTok, stuff like that, and I feel like it’s really transitioning well onto the court.”
Mabrey and Rivers are something of an odd duo, but they are also a perfect complement to each other in many ways. Rivers is an extrovert to her core, bubbling with seemingly endless energy and almost always wearing her infectious smile. Mabrey carries herself with more intensity as she takes on a new burden of leadership in 2025, striving to hold her teammates to the same ultra-competitive standard she has for herself.
Even amid the team’s disappointing 0-5 start to the season, Rivers has helped Mabrey lean into her fun side. The rookie regularly gets Mabrey involved in her antics on TikTok, and she said she’s teaching the veteran guard to cook after Mabrey went viral during Unrivaled for a series of videos showcasing her limited knowledge in the kitchen.
“She put oil on the meat, and the meat produces its own oil, so who’s the chef?” Rivers teased Mabrey after Friday’s win. “Let’s ask the question, ‘When the oil starts to really stand out, how do you get the oil out?’”
“You put a paper towel in the thing — the pan,” Mabrey replied smugly.
“That’s true, you dab it with a paper towel! I didn’t think she knew that,” Rivers told reporters with a grin.
Mabrey has also provided the steady veteran presence Rivers needs as she adjusts to her first WNBA season, especially after missing most of training camp to grieve the unexpected death of her mother.
“When I came back, she was just like anything you need, I’m here, whether that’s a hug or a conversation or whatever,” Rivers said. “She’s just really trying to instill confidence in me to shoot the ball, if I mess up to give myself grace, but also if you mess up, make sure that you mess up (giving) 100%, and I feel like I’ve really been taking that into account … I think we’re just gelling really well because I’m listening to my vet, and we’ve just got a good thing going on.”
But keeping that good thing going may hinge heavily on the success of Mabrey’s cooking lessons.
“It depends on how this pizza tastes,” Rivers joked, earning an eye roll from Mabrey. “I might never listen to another word she says.”
Connecticut Sun rookie Saniya Rivers shines in emotional WNBA debut after mother’s unexpected death