Marina Mabrey drops 3-word reaction to resurfaced clip of Diana Taurasi slapping her as 3× WNBA champion hangs up her cleats

Marina Mabrey and Diana Taurasi had several heated battles on the court as the two played the same position. With Taurasi’s retirement, which ended her 20-year run in the WNBA, Mabrey has dropped her tribute to the Phoenix Mercury legend through a reaction on a resurfaced clip of Taurasi inadvertently slapping Mabrey while in a defensive stance.

The 28-year-old Mabrey took to social media to write a three-word reaction to a post that featured her getting slapped by Taurasi. She kept her response simple and called Taurasi a “legend” following her retirement on Tuesday.

“lol a legend ♥️♥️,” Mabrey wrote.

The instance happened when Mabrey was still playing with the Chicago Sky in 2023 as they faced Taurasi’s Mercury.

A year before the incident, Taurasi and Mabrey, who was then with the Dallas Wings, also got tangled in a heated play, which the Mercury star downplayed after the game.

Their colleges were also bitter rivals in collegiate hoops as Taurasi led the University of Connecticut to three national championships, while Mabrey played for Notre Dame.

However, despite the animosity between the two in several on-court plays, Taurasi, famous for her competitive fire, and Mabrey maintained their respect for one another, as seen in numerous dap-ups after games.

Taurasi finished her career with three WNBA championships with the Mercury, while Mabrey, who has a pending trade request out of the Connecticut Sun, continues to find her breakthrough title in the league.

WNBA champion coach attributes Diana Taurasi’s greatness to her intense competitive spirit

As seen in numerous heated plays involving Diana Taurasi, the Phoenix Mercury guard’s competitive spirit is often a focus of on-court battles with other players.

But for two-time WNBA champion coach Becky Hammon, Taurasi’s competitiveness propelled her to become one of the best women’s basketball players ever seen.

“She's a maniac," Hammon said. "She has what I call the switch … She got that switch. Kobe had the switch, Michael had the switch, where it was like you step between those four lines.”

“I mean, there were times I wanted to fight her. And then she'd be like, 'You want to go and get a beer?' I'm like, 'No, I want to kill you right now.' Because she had that switch. That competitiveness where she sees only winning," the Las Vegas Aces coach added.

A known trash talker during games, Taurasi was the face of the league for numerous years before lying low in recent years to pave the way for new stars.

Aside from the WNBA titles, Taurasi also helped Team USA to win six straight Olympic gold medals in women’s basketball. At 42, she was part of the Team USA contingent at the 2024 Paris Olympics.