Bullet point summary by AI
- The WNBA’s top 10 single-game scoring performances showcase some of the league’s most explosive talent over 30 seasons.
- Only three players have ever reached the historic 53-point mark, each bringing unique skills to their record-tying nights.
- The debate over efficiency and impact highlights how different players achieve similar scoring milestones in dramatically different ways.
Last night, all eyes were on Marina Mabrey as she put on a masterclass against the Los Angeles Sparks in front of the faithful Toronto Tempo fans. With about three minutes to go in the third quarter, she drained her signature long-range 3-ball to put her at 39 points on the night, a new career-high. Except she wasn’t done yet. After a few more buckets, she made history in the fourth quarter as she launched one from deep, putting her nightly total at 53 points, tying the WNBA single-game record.
In the WNBA’s 30-year history, only two other players have reached this milestone — A’ja Wilson and Liz Cambage. But there have been plenty of other iconic high-scoring performances across the league’s existence. Here are the top 10 highest-scoring WNBA performances.
| PLAYER, TEAM | DATE | TOTAL POINTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Marina Mabrey, Toronto Tempo | June 25, 2026 | 53 |
| T-1. A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces | August 22, 2023 | 53 |
| T-1. Liz Cambage, Dallas Wings | July 17, 2018 | 53 |
| 4. Riquna Williams, Tulsa Shock | September 8, 2013 | 51 |
| 5. Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx | July 22, 2014 | 48 |
| 6. Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm | July 24, 2007 | 47 |
| T-6. Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury | August 10, 2006 | 47 |
| 8. Katie Smith, Minnesota Lynx | July 8, 2001 | 46 |
| 9. A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces | May 15, 2026 | 45 |
| T-9. Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty | May 21, 2023 | 45 |
Now this isn’t a ‘who did it best?’ competition, because I have a feeling every 50+ point performance is pretty jaw-dropping. But, just for fun, let’s take a look at each of the three 53-point performances.
Liz Cambage: July 17, 2018
Of course, this performance is pretty cemented in the brains of WNBA fans because Cambage was the first player to break that 50+ point threshold. The game came during the 2018 season when she and the Dallas Wings handed the New York Liberty a 104-87 loss, with plenty of thanks to Cambage’s performance.
She finished the game shooting 77.3 percent from the floor — the most efficient of all three 53-point performances. She even drained 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. She finished the night 15-of-16 from the free throw line and also recorded 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 blocks.
A’ja Wilson: Aug. 22, 2023
You’ll notice Wilson is the only player listed more than once on the top 10 single-game scorers list — she’s simply a scoring machine. Her legendary 53-point performance came during a 112-100 Aces win over the Atlanta Dream during the 2023 season. She finished the night shooting 69.6 percent from the floor — including one of only nine 3-pointers she drained that season. She also recorded 7 rebounds and 4 blocks. Wilson shot 20-of-21 from the free throw line — the most of the three 53-point performances.
Wilson got close to beating the record earlier this season, when she recorded 45 points against the Connecticut Sun.
Marina Mabrey: June 25, 2026
While 53 points ties the league record, Mabrey is the only guard to achieve this number. Last night, she also tied the league record for most 3-pointers in a game with nine. Although she’s no stranger to tying this record, as she just did it against Connecticut on June 19 — and most efficiently, shooting 75 percent from beyond the arc. She and Rhyne Howard are the only two players in the league to have two games in which they’ve made 9 3-pointers.
Back to last night, though, Mabrey finished the night with 6 rebounds and 2 assists to go along with her 53 points. She went to the charity stripe the least across these three performances, shooting 10-of-12. She shot 60.7 percent from the floor and 50.0 percent from 3-point land. Per ESPN, when asked about her historic night, Mabrey said, “I think tonight was just my night from the 3-point line and from honestly everywhere. It was all going in… And then the fans, to have them chanting ‘MVP,’ I don’t know that I ever imagined that. But it was really a good feeling.”
