This is the first time that Charles and Mabrey are playing together in the WNBA, but they come from similar foundations at two elite college programs, UConn and Notre Dame. The duo is leading the Sun in points this season, with Mabrey averaging 17.1 per game and Charles averaging 16.6.
Mabrey posted a season-high 34 points against the Atlanta Dream on June 6 to help the Sun secure their first home win of the season. Charles put up a season-high 27 points on May 27 against Dallas.
Although they are both star players and have many similarities, they are also very different, which is helping them succeed together.
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First impressions
Mabrey has admired Charles, who is in her 14th WNBA season, for her longevity as well as for her skills. She has always known Charles as an opponent, but this season they have gotten to know each other on a deeper level as teammates.
“As an opponent, she was tough,” Mabrey told The Next at practice on Thursday. “It would always be the plan to see how we can stop her … and she still somehow ended up with 20 [points] and 10 [rebounds]. It’s just like, ‘Dang, Tina.’ So just her ability to do that at a high level for so long is why she’s so great.
“And then as a teammate, I think you have to get to know Tina. And I think as you get to know her, you understand exactly where she’s coming from and how she tries to help the team and stuff. We spent time working on getting to know each other. And now our chemistry on the court is getting so good, so I’m happy that we had time to really work on it.”
Charles has always known the competitiveness Mabrey has as an opponent, but she also acknowledged that there is a lot more to Mabrey as a player and person than that. In their time together this season, Charles has learned that Mabrey is extremely caring and loving, something that people don’t always see behind the scenes.
“[My first impression of her was she’s] just very feisty,” Charles told reporters on Thursday. “She knows what she wants, knows where [and] when to get to her spots, [and] has a really high basketball IQ.”
UConn and Notre Dame make great WNBA pairings
Notre Dame and UConn have one of the biggest rivalries in women’s college basketball. On and off the court, the Fighting Irish and the Huskies are “enemies,” but in the WNBA, their alumnae seem to complement one another.
Notably, Jewell Loyd (Notre Dame) and Breanna Stewart (UConn) were drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm in back-to-back seasons and went on to win WNBA championships together in 2018 and 2020.
Minnesota Lynx teammates Napheesa Collier (UConn) and Kayla McBride (Notre Dame) are seeking their first championship together after falling to the New York Liberty in the WNBA Finals last season. Additionally, Arike Ogunbowale (Notre Dame) and 2025 No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers (UConn) have linked up for the Dallas Wings this season.
Mabrey and Charles are no different.
“[UConn and Notre Dame alums are] like oil and water, you know?” Mabrey said with a laugh.
She and Charles are the opposite of oil and water, though. In fact, they mix very well together on the court.
“As much as we fight on the court … [as] UConn and Notre Dame, that rivalry, I think that a lot of the same principles are instilled at both programs,” Mabrey said. “They’re both really highly successful, and I think that they teach IQ, they teach you how to play, they teach you how to know your teammates and so many other things I could name. But I think that that’s why when we come together it’s pretty easy to play together, just because we’re taught a lot of the same principles, a lot of the same ways.”
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UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and former Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw have produced a lot of professional players. They are known to be two of the best in the game.
“I think you just have to give [praise] to the coaches and just how they prepare us to be a pro,” Charles said. “I think that’s the main thing. … Notre Dame and UConn did a great job of making pros.”
UConn and Notre Dame alums have a shared mindset that was instilled in them during their college years.
“I think it’s the mentality, but I think it’s the way we are both taught at our schools,” Sun guard and Notre Dame alumna Lindsay Allen told The Next on Thursday. “UConn with Geno; Notre Dame, us, with Muffet. I think they teach the game the same way. They’re really strict about certain things and playing the game the right way, making sure you’re in the right spot, making sure you’re a good teammate, you’re playing hard, you’re playing together, all those things. …
“They don’t just throw plays out there and say, ‘Hey, just remember this play. Remember that play.’ And they’re actually teaching you how to read the basketball games and how to read your teammates and how to read the defense. … Also, the professionalism, knowing in school, you’re doing schoolwork, you’re having to do basketball, time management, all that sort of stuff. So they’re really teaching us, or they taught us, how to be professional athletes and how to be young women in this world.”
Mabrey’s new role
Mabrey has embraced her role on the Sun, which is completely different than last year. The coaching staff expects a lot of leadership from Mabrey on the court both offensively and defensively. First-year head coach Rachid Meziane has seen growth in that area early on this season.
“Today, she [was] a good example because she leads us offensively, but I feel she did a great job on defense, too,” Meziane told reporters after Mabrey’s 34-point performance against the Dream. “And sometimes, players can just be a good offensive leader [or] a good defensive leader, but I think that she worked hard on both sides of the court. …
“So she can have some credit for playing like that. So I am happy for her, and I hope that it will be helpful for our future.”
Mabrey has learned to lead not only by example, but also by supporting some of her younger teammates as they acclimate to the WNBA. She knows how hard that is, as she struggled at the beginning of her career and didn’t see as many minutes as she had hoped.
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Mabrey was selected No. 19 overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2019 WNBA Draft. Prior to the 2020 season, she was traded to the Dallas Wings, where she spent the next three seasons.
Before the 2023 season, she requested a trade and went to the Chicago Sky, where she spent a season and a half before being traded to the Sun in 2024 during the Olympic break. If the 2019 draft class was reranked now, she would likely be higher than the No. 19 pick based on the improvements she’s made and the success she’s had.
Mabrey is known for so-called “crash-outs” during games — times when she seems to lose control — that stem from her competitiveness. But Charles said there is a lot that people don’t see about Mabrey as a player.
Charles noted that Mabrey is always the first one in the gym for practice, working on her game. The two players lead together, and Charles is proud of the teammate Mabrey is now and is becoming.
“[We have led together by] just using our voice. I guess it’s just leading by example,” Charles said. “More importantly, anything that [Mabrey] says, she’s willing to do and put her body on the line, and that’s what you want. … So I’m really proud of her and just who she’s coming into and just what her role is outside of her scoring ability.”
Charles’ veteran leadership
Charles was drafted No. 1 overall by the Sun in 2010 and was traded to the New York Liberty before the 2014 season. In her time with the Liberty, she got to know teammate Shavonte Zellous, who is now the Sun’s basketball development intern.
Zellous and Charles bonded early in Charles’ career and even wound up playing overseas together. Zellous has seen Charles grow from a young player in the league to an accomplished veteran leader.
“I’ve seen Tina from when she was … first coming into the league,” Zellous told The Next on Thursday. “… The amount of growth she’s shown in her game is unreal. Footwork — I tell anybody, if you’re a post and you want to learn any type of footwork action on the block, please watch Tina Charles, because her footwork is unreal.”
Charles is also known for her desire to get better every day, even after more than a decade in the WNBA.
“She got that New York dog in her,” Zellous said. “Ain’t nobody gonna bully her around, boss her around. She sets the tone when she steps on the court. She knows what she wants to do, and pretty much nobody can stop her when she knows what she wants to do and when she’s determined. So I think the best way to describe TC is a dog.”
Mabrey said that she and Charles fit well together because of their shared mindset and goals, but also because Charles’ shooting ability creates scoring opportunities for both of them.
“It’s great because Tina can shoot. So when Tina pops or she dives, you always have to guard her, so you can’t bring two to the ball for the whole time with me,” Mabrey said. “… Also, Tina sets great screens and she knows my game, so she knows I want to shoot and stuff. She sets her angles up great for me to come off and shoot clean.”
Compare and contrast
Mabrey and Charles have a lot of similarities but also differences, and that helps them coexist on the court. They both want the same thing — to win — even as they have different styles of doing that.
“They [are] both bosses. They both want to be in control of everything,” Zellous said with a smile. “But I will say Marina is a little bit more vocal, whereas Tina is a little bit more silent. And she wants to bring her leadership by showing what she can do, and Marina is like, ‘Nah, I’ma tell you, and I’m showing you.’”
Mabrey and Charles’ teammates and coaches have a lot of trust in their ability to score efficiently. When the Sun need to score, they almost always look to them first.
The two players’ confidence has also grown throughout their careers. Having played 19 total seasons in the league, they have a lot of experience under their belts.
“[What’s similar about them is] their confidence,” Allen said. “I think no matter if they missed the past five shots or made the past five shots, they’re going to take that next open shot. And they put in the work over the years. … Tina’s in the gym. Tina’s midrange and hook shot is basically automatic at this point. I’m surprised when she misses.
“And the same thing with Marina: She gets in the gym. She works on her three. If she ever gets an open look, I think it’s going in most times than not. So I think [how] both of them [are similar is] just their confidence in how they approach things and how they’re upbeat, [have a] positive demeanor, they never get down on themselves. … They’re always [having a] ‘next play’ mentality, which I think is important to have in this league.”
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Meshing together
Mabrey and Charles’ shared mindsets help them complement one another. Mabrey is known as a 3-point threat and expanded her game in the offseason to be more of a three-level scorer. Charles is a dominant paint player but also can shoot outside shots.
Both Mabrey and Charles favor ball screen action on offense. They make reads that you learn with experience and practice, and they have had plenty of both throughout their careers. And when one of them is having an off night, the other person almost always steps up.
“Both of them have a similar kind of mindset,” Allen said. “They’re both really just dogs. They love basketball. They love [to] hoop, they love to win, and they want to take that responsibility, especially on the offensive end, and just in a leadership role overall. …
“They’re always looking for each other. Tina can read it pretty well, whether she’s rolling or popping. Marina has great vision. So I think they’re a really, really good one-two punch and just really potent in that ball screen.”
As a result, their leadership styles have been able to mesh rather than clashing.
“She’s much older than I am, so she has a lot more experience than me,” Mabrey said. “So I think that she gives that wisdom and I give that relatability, because I’m really not that old. And the players, I have some experience to help them, but I also understand where they’re coming from, too. So I think it’s a really good balance between us.”
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Charles and Mabrey hold the keys to turn the season around
The Sun are off to a rough start with a 2-7 record. But after their win against the Dream on June 6, Charles addressed the fans at Mohegan Sun Arena, promising them that they would turn things around.
If the Sun do turn the season around, Mabrey and Charles will play a huge part in that. This younger and new-look team leans on both veterans for guidance.
“Everything is kind of new. But to have those two [lead] our way is important for us because they are veterans,” Zellous said. “They’ve been in the league. For the most part, both have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. So having those two … lead by example and show us how to get it done, to get over the hump, I think it’s a plus for us.”
