After being drafted second overall in 2020, Satou Sabally played five seasons with the Dallas Wings. She played alongside some big-time stars, like Arike Ogunbowale, Allisha Gray, Marina Mabrey, and Natasha Howard. However, health and playoff success eluded Sabally in Dallas. The furthest she got was the semifinals in 2023.
After a 2024 season that saw the Wings finish the season with only nine wins, Sabally decided it was time to move on, to leave the franchise that drafted her, and look for new opportunities elsewhere.
That move has paid off in the best way possible. Sabally is headed to the finals with the Phoenix Mercury in her first season after leaving the Wings.
Sabally is thriving with the Mercury
Despite their star power, the Mercury weren’t always a title favorite. When the Lynx had to go into a do-or-die Game 4 without Napheesa Collier and Cheryl Reeve, who was suspended, the Mercury were finally the favorite to win a series. After a slow start, they took care of business and got an 86-81 win to secure a trip to the finals.
Sabally was a huge factor in the win. She finished the game with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. The Mercury generally win when Sabally has a big game. She only failed to do that twice in the playoffs, scoring 9 points in Game 1 against the Liberty and 10 points in Game 1 against the Lynx. Other than that, she always scored at least 15 points and helped the Mercury to wins.
Sabally was also a big reason for the Mercury’s success during the regular season, playing one of her best seasons yet. 2025 was only the second season that Sabally played over 17 games. She averaged 16.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 steals, leading the Mercury in scoring.
Sabally also seems to feel comfortable off the court in Phoenix, judging by her positive comments about the Mercury’s facilities and the player experience.
Sabally will have to be at her best for the Mercury to win a championship
While Alyssa Thomas is the engine powering everything the Mercury do, Satou Sabally tends to decide the outcome of their games. That will likely continue to be the case in the finals.
The Fever-Aces series is still ongoing, so it is still a mystery which team the Mercury will have to face in the finals. Neither matchup will diminish Sabally’s importance, however. If the Aces come out of the semifinals, the Mercury will have to face a star-studded team featuring A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Jewell Loyd. If the Fever win Game 5, Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, and Natasha Howard will pose a challenge for the Mercury.