Connecticut Sun star Marina Mabrey has been one of the team’s few bright spots in a difficult season. On Saturday, the guard spoke candidly about her time with the Sun. She opened up on the team turning down her trade request in February.In an exclusive interview, Mabrey sat down with Sportskeeda's Mark Medina to discuss the highlights of her season, including the Sun shooting down her trade request."At the end of the day, people think about this as a sport. But it’s still a job," Mabrey expressed. "You think about corporate jobs. You come in, and people get fired all the time. You don’t think twice. People leave. People take different jobs."But at the end of the day, you still have to sit down and do what you’re supposed to do. It’s the same thing. I’m still going to show up and try to do exactly what I can do to the best of my ability."The guard shared her current mindset, explaining how she plans to handle the disappointment of her unsuccessful attempt to leave Connecticut."I know I’m one of the best players in the world. So I’m going to come out there and do it every day. You ask for a different job, you don’t get it. So does that mean you’re going to stop working?" she remarked.Mabrey has demonstrated that mindset throughout the season. Even though the team declined her trade request, she continues to excel for them. Despite the Sun’s league-worst 5-24 record, she is averaging 14.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, second only to veteran Tina Charles on the team.Why the Sun reportedly turned down Marina Mabrey’s trade requestAfter requesting a trade from the Chicago Sky and joining the Connecticut Sun in 2024, Marina Mabrey requested to leave the franchise at the start of the year. However, Connecticut reportedly turned down the request after President Jennifer Rizzotti claimed she wouldn't be panicking over the situation."We’re not hitting the panic button," Rizzotti said. "We feel good about the moves that we’ve made. We’ve been very intentional about our priorities."Rizzotti acknowledged a trade request from Mabrey was always a possibility and a risk the team was prepared to accept."We knew at the time that she had already forced her way out of two teams. So, it was a bit risky for us to trade for her, but we felt like it was worth it," Rizzotti said. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe gambel has paid off for the Sun as Mabrey continues to be a shining light in an otherwise disappointing season.