Phoenix Mercury All-Star has consistently been one of the league’s most outspoken players when it comes to labor issues, with negotiations over the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement looming over a season that has seen the league’s popularity increase substantially.
WNBA arenas are seeing record-breaking attendance numbers, expansion teams are joining the league for hundreds of millions of dollars, and a new TV deal is going to generate $200 million a year for the next 11 years. Progress in negotiations has been slow, however, and there’s been a sense that the players are dissatisfied with discussions with the league office. Some have even reported that a deal is unlikely to be struck by the October 31st deadline.
Sabally Speaks Out
Before Tuesday night’s win against the Los Angeles Sparks, Satou Sabally, a member of the WNBAPA Leadership Committee, was asked about the state of the negotiations, and she expressed disappointment in the league’s stance on prioritization rules.
While WNBA salaries may be higher than they were a decade ago, it’s well-documented that there’s far less earning potential in the W, ostensibly the best women’s league in the world, than there is in other leagues, not only overseas, but now domestically as well.
Aug 19, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) looks on before the game against the Golden State Valkyries quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images / Eakin Howard-Imagn Images
Sabally says that the league doesn’t want its players hooping in Unrivaled or overseas during the offseason, per Desert Wave Media. “I mean, that’s wrong. I made more money at Unrivaled, excluding this year, than my entire WNBA career, so that’s not right,” she said.
Many players have to play year-round to earn enough money to build up for retirement, which is not only frustrating in the sense that they don’t feel valued by the WNBA, but also increases wear-and-tear on players’ bodies and makes it more difficult to maintain a normal home life. (More attention was brought to this issue in the recently-released documentary series about Diana Taurasi.)
Aug 19, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) looks on before the game against the Golden State Valkyries quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images / Eakin Howard-Imagn Images
When asked about whether or not the talks have progressed since the much talked-about meetings during the All-Star break, Sabally offered a simple “conversations have been there.”
The star forward has also been critical of the league’s scheduling practices recently, with more games than ever before being packed into the season without expanding the league’s scheduling footprint to accommodate it. Player safety is yet another sticking point in the negotiations.
Aug 10, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) against the Atlanta Dream at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
/ Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
While there’s still plenty of time to avoid a lockout, the situation is worth monitoring. Mercury superstar Alyssa Thomas has suggested that players are prepared for a lockout if necessary, aided by the increase in opportunities to make money outside of the W. This is a crucial point in the league’s development, one that will have huge effects on the next era of WNBA ball.
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