The Toronto Tempo outlasted the New York Liberty 93-91 on Sunday after a fourth-quarter ejection flipped the script at Montreal's Bell Centre. Though the Liberty vs. Tempo matchup had been chippy all afternoon, the final two minutes spiraled into chaos.
Marina Mabrey Shoe-Throwing Incident Leads to Liberty Ejection
With 1:48 remaining, Liberty center Jonquel Jones lost her shoe while fighting for a rebound. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton grabbed it and tossed it downcourt, but the throw caught Tempo guard Marina Mabrey in the back. Officials hit Laney-Hamilton with her second technical foul and ejected her immediately.
Marina Mabrey Anchors Latest Tempo Win in Breakout WNBA Season
The call wiped out New York's late-quarter rally.
The Liberty had erased a 20-point deficit to tie the game before Mabrey, one of the most productive WNBA players this season, stepped to the line for the Tempo to convert the go-ahead free throw. Breanna Stewart answered, but Nyara Sabally's layup with 52.5 seconds left proved to be the winner.
Afterward, both sides agreed the throw was unintentional.
Mabrey finished with a game-high 30 points, but admitted she could've done better to maintain her cool.
"I’m working on not being rage-baited," she said after the match. "I had to take a couple breaths, but I think she was really just trying to get the shoe back to JJ."
The Tempo next face the Washington Mystics on Tuesday at 7 PM ET on NBA TV. The Liberty, meanwhile, look to regroup against the Dallas Wings on Thursday at 9 PM ET, live on Prime.
