WNBA free agency has not even officially started yet, but one big domino has already started to fall. Alexa Philippou reported that Dallas Wings star Satou Sabally has made her wish to find a new team public. That is a heavy blow to a Dallas Wings team that already had Natasha Howard announce that she would explore the free agency market and likely sign with a new team.
Since both Sabally and Howard want out, the Wings will lose two of their three top scorers from the 2024 season, leaving Arike Ogunbowale as the lone star on the team. That alone is already bad news, but it could get even worse for the Wings.
Paige Bueckers may decide to stay in college after all
Dallas got incredibly lucky in the 2024 WNBA Draft Lottery, winning the first overall pick in a draft that was widely expected to see Paige Bueckers go at number one. Bueckers is one of the brightest stars in college basketball and could have a similar effect on the WNBA as Caitlin Clark.
But, there have been rumblings that Bueckers is not especially interested in playing for the Wings. Earlier this week, WNBA writer Sabreena Merchant made the case for why Bueckers may want to stay in college for another year on The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show. The three main reasons she brought up were that Bueckers has doubts about the situation in Dallas, could earn more money on her rookie contract if she waits another year for the new CBA to kick in, and might want another chance to win a championship at UConn.
Sabally’s decision will only strengthen any doubts Bueckers may have about the state of the organization, and may just be the thing that pushes her decision toward adding another year of college basketball to her resume. Two of a team’s top players wanting to leave at the same time is never a good sign. If Bueckers declares for the draft, the Wings will almost certainly take her, especially with two of their best scorers leaving, unless Olivia Miles firmly establishes herself as the better option. If Bueckers truly doesn’t want to play for the Wings, staying in college is her best chance to avoid landing there.
While there will be several other talented players available in the draft, missing out on the chance to draft Bueckers and the popularity she would certainly bring to the organization would be a serious loss.