With her teammates, including fellow star players Alyssa Thomas<\/a> and Kahleah Copper<\/a>, injured, Sabally took the reins, jolting Phoenix to a respectable start in her first year in the Valley.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re asking her to do more,\u201d head coach Nate Tibbetts told the media after the Mercury\u2019s win over the Los Angeles Sparks on June 1. \u201cIt\u2019s impressive. Especially with AT and Kah here, she was probably thinking that she was going to have to play one way, and now she\u2019s having to do more, which is great experience for her.\u201d<\/p>\n Want even more women\u2019s sports in your inbox?<\/p>\n Subscribe now to our sister publication The IX<\/a> and receive our independent women\u2019s sports newsletter six days a week. Learn more about your favorite athletes and teams around the world competing in soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers. <\/p>\n Readers of The Next now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.<\/p>\n Now the team is firing on all cylinders, and Sabally is still the offensive spark, just as she was to start the year.<\/p>\n The Mercury are 15-7 going into the All-Star break, holding the third-best record in the league. Sabally is averaging a career high 19.1 points, good for sixth in the league. She\u2019s also snagged a team high 7.7 rebounds per game. For the third time in her career, Sabally was named a WNBA All-Star, earning a starting spot in the mid-season classic, although she won\u2019t participate due to a right ankle injury.<\/p>\n Sabally\u2019s caliber of play for the Mercury this season is no surprise. Before coming to the Valley, Sabally\u2019s resume and list of accolades were quickly growing. General manager Nick U\u2019Ren and the front office knew what they were getting when they traded for her back in February<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know where to begin in terms of the excitement in terms of bringing you to our organization from a versatility standpoint, from a size, from a shooting, from a passing, from a rebound standpoint, from an intelligence standpoint,\u201d U\u2019Ren said at Sabally\u2019s introductory press conference<\/a> in February. \u201cYou can play any position. I know Coach Nate is so thrilled to think of the lineups you\u2019ll unlock, and the most exciting thing is that I think you can get so much better on top of all this.\u201d<\/p>\n Five months later, Sabally has lived up to the hype. Her play has been one of the brightest highlights of the Mercury\u2019s season. Despite the ankle injury that kept her out of the four games preceding the All-Star break, it\u2019s clear that Sabally has taken a step forward, and she\u2019s ready to join the league\u2019s most supreme tier of players.<\/p>\n The Unicorn in true form<\/p>\n Arguably, Sabally\u2019s most impactful asset for the Mercury is her versatility. A large part of her skillset is based around her having the mobility of a guard despite her 6\u20194 frame, and having the strength and size of a forward while being capable of matching up on the perimeter.<\/p>\n Sabally doesn\u2019t fit into the traditional mold of a forward and never has, which has earned her the moniker of \u201cthe Unicorn.\u201d Her ability to play nearly every position on the floor is a dream come true for Tibbetts and his free-flowing, positionless style of basketball.<\/p>\n \u201c[Satou] is a special player,\u201d Tibbetts said in June. \u201cSo I\u2019m so excited that she\u2019s here, and the future that we\u2019re going to have, just trying to help her continue to improve as a player. She\u2019s been so dang coachable. I want to give her a ton of credit for that.\u201d<\/p>\n Sabally\u2019s uniqueness, which earned her the Unicorn title, extends beyond what she can do on the floor that others cannot. It\u2019s also in her approach to the game and how her competitiveness kicks into overdrive from the opening whistle.<\/p>\n Unlike most WNBA players, Sabally is fortunate to have a sister, Nyara Sabally<\/a> (who is two years Satou\u2019s junior) also on a WNBA roster and earning valuable playing time for the New York Liberty, another of the league\u2019s top teams.<\/p>\n When the younger Sabally and the Liberty visited PHX Arena on June 27, Satou welcomed her with open arms, posing for pictures with her in the tunnel pregame. But when they stepped on the court, the only evidence of their relation was the shared last name on their jerseys.<\/p>\n Tune in to Locked On Women\u2019s Basketball<\/p>\n Here at The Next, in addition to the 24\/7\/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women\u2019s Basketball<\/a> podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.<\/p>\n At one point in the game, Nyara tweaked her ankle on the offensive end of the floor. Visibly hobbled, she stayed in the game and went down to the other end to play defense. The ball ended up in Satou\u2019s hands, and in that moment, it didn\u2019t matter that her sister was in front of her, playing with a bum ankle. Satou drove straight to the rim. She may not have made the layup, but the play epitomized her cutthroat instinct, that nobody, not even her sister, could impede her from making the play she wanted to.<\/p>\n \u201c[Satou] has had a great year. She just, she\u2019s a competitor,\u201d Tibbetts told reporters after the game. \u201cShe\u2019s out to prove people wrong about them questioning who she was and what she was about from a year ago, and she\u2019s been on a mission. And I guess it doesn\u2019t matter who\u2019s in front of her, even her sister, she\u2019s going to be aggressive.\u201d<\/p>\n The determination to be the best doesn\u2019t stop at overpowering her opposition. Every day, she\u2019s in the gym working to become the best version of herself. Tibbetts has commended her for being open-minded and willing to listen to the vision the coaching staff has outlined for her.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the main question that you\u2019re asking is, can we get her to understand when she has the advantage?\u201d Tibbetts said pregame on June 5. \u201cAnd so just having conversations with her, you know, we weren\u2019t very good in Minnesota [on June 3]. I just love the fact she came back, sat with one of the assistants, and watched the whole game, and so she\u2019s curious. She wants to be great. She\u2019s going to keep getting better.\u201d<\/p>\n Her dedication to her craft has also caught the eye of her teammates. In his pregame press conference at Minnesota on June 3, Tibbetts spoke about how being around veteran players with numerous accolades and championship experience would be good for Sabally as she takes the next step in her career. In turn, she\u2019s impressed those same veterans with her desire to improve and achieve peak performance.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really exciting to see her thrive here,\u201d Sami Whitcomb<\/a> said after the home win over New York. \u201cShe works really, really hard. She seeks that feedback out, and she takes on any of the sort of critical feedback we give her as well. I\u2019ve said this before, she wants to be the best version of herself \u2026 so I\u2019ve been really proud of her. Every single game, I think she takes steps forward for us, and it\u2019s really fun to play with.\u201d<\/p>\n Finding her fit<\/p>\n As free agency neared this offseason, it was widely reported that 2024 would be Sabally\u2019s last in Dallas. Sabally herself confirmed it<\/a> on Jan. 9. The scramble to acquire her ensued, and Phoenix won out.<\/p>\n But what the Mercury\u2019s organization has unlocked in Sabally is more than many could have expected. External talk about Phoenix taking the next step forward largely revolved around Thomas and Copper, with Sabally as the leading footnote.<\/p>\n Instantly, it became clear that would not be the case.<\/p>\n While points can be made about the difference in her utilization, coaching and the team around her, Sabally has attributed her success this year to being able to just \u201cworry about basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n The Mercury\u2019s landmark investment in a practice facility<\/a>, coupled with an athletic training staff, resources for recovery and team-based nutrition planning, has taken the onus off Sabally to keep her body right throughout the season.<\/p>\n For a player with an injury history as extensive as Sabally\u2019s \u2014 she\u2019s only played more than 20 games in a season once in her career \u2014 that\u2019s a big deal. Going beyond the physical, these amenities have also benefited her mentally, removing stress and worry about securing the necessary resources and food to keep her in prime basketball shape for the whole summer.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m super happy to be in a new environment, around great people, around an organization that also is able to keep us healthy and really just pours everything in us,\u201d Sabally said back in June. \u201cSo I really feel just grateful to be able to give that back. That\u2019s what I do, and I really do it with pride.\u201d<\/p>\n Order \u2018Rare Gems\u2019 and save 30% If you enjoy his coverage of women\u2019s basketball every Wednesday at The IX, you will love \u201cRare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.\u201d Click the link below to order<\/a> and enter MEGDAL30 at checkout.<\/p>\n With the style of play the Mercury have adopted under Tibbetts, Sabally\u2019s fit on the floor is just as pivotal. Tibbetts and the Phoenix coaching staff have challenged her to step outside the mold she\u2019s fit into in previous WNBA seasons.<\/p>\n This has meant putting the ball in her hands more often, encouraging her to initiate the offense, turning her into a downhill threat in pick-and-rolls rather than just a pick-and-pop option, and giving her the go-ahead to shoot upwards of six 3-pointers a game (she currently averages a career-high 6.1 attempts beyond the arc).<\/p>\n As an organization, the Mercury have taken care of Sabally\u2019s physical and mental well-being and redefined who she is as a player, setting the table for the evolved version of Sabally seen through the first half of the season.<\/p>\n \u201cSatou and I have had a lot of discussions since she decided to come here, even before, you know, during free agency, she wants to be coached, which I love,\u201d Tibbetts told the media after practice on July 1. \u201cI\u2019ve been super impressed with her commitment to her profession. She\u2019s typically, she\u2019ll tell you, probably not one of the first ones in the building, but she\u2019s one of the last ones every day, for sure. And she talks about it, I\u2019ve heard her talk about it, just the resources that she has here, she could just worry about basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n Locker room love<\/p>\n Satou\u2019s contributions to the Mercury\u2019s success go far beyond just what she does on the court. In a locker room that includes four players 30 or older, the 27-year-old Sabally is developing her leadership style in her sixth year in the league. And on a team that rosters a healthy mix of overseas talent trying to find their footing in the WNBA<\/a>, Sabally is an ideal go-between.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the first time for Satou to have the caliber of players like AT and Kahleah around her,\u201d Tibbetts told the media after a practice in June. \u201cAnd so she does a good job of putting her arms around the young players and bringing them along.\u201d<\/p>\n For much of the first quarter of the season, Satou was one of the only veteran voices on the floor, with many young players thrust into larger roles and key minutes due to injuries. Satou stepped up and guided them with her play and her words.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s a great leader,\u201d rookie guard Lexi Held<\/a> told reporters after the June 5 win over the Golden State Valkyries. \u201cYou can see on the court, she really brings us together. She\u2019s somebody that you want on your side, especially when things aren\u2019t going away. But she\u2019s someone that will always bring you together, lift you up, and it\u2019s great playing with her.\u201d<\/p>\n But even when Sabally is not rallying the troops and trying to align the team, she\u2019s contributing to the locker room culture with her personality.<\/p>\n Her social media posts on TikTok and Instagram stories frequently highlight the bonds this team has. From making dance videos following the latest trends with some of the more reserved personalities on the team, to documenting the team\u2019s daily vitamin shots and chastising teammates\u2019 reactions, saying, \u201cIt\u2019s not that bad,\u201d Sabally brings the energy for the Mercury\u2019s locker room.<\/p>\n The Next, a 24\/7\/365 women\u2019s basketball newsroom Even when she isn\u2019t on the floor, she\u2019s still a support system on the bench, cheering loudly for her teammates, complaining in defense of the Mercury\u2019s players when they don\u2019t get foul calls, celebrating big plays and constantly having a smile on her face.<\/p>\n \u201c[They\u2019re] just encouraging us,\u201d Thomas said of Sabally and Copper\u2019s bench behavior after Phoenix\u2019s win over Dallas on July 9. \u201cNothing changes whether they\u2019re playing or not. \u2026\u00a0 It\u2019s always great to have them around, their energies close for us.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Phoenix](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/20250618_DSC7063_chrisposs-Edit-1024x819.jpg\")
Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) shoots over Connecticut Sun center Olivia Nelson-Ododa<\/a> (10) during the WNBA game between the Phoenix Mercury and the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn. on June 18, 2025. (Photo Credit: Chris Poss | The Next)<\/p>\n![\"Locked](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1752815948_959_locked-on-wbb-ad.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Phoenix](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54566478366_4869101000_k.jpg\")
Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) looks to pass while defended by Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith in a game between the Mercury and the Lynx at Target Center, Minneapolis, Minn. on June 3, 2025. (Photo credit: John McClellan | The Next)<\/p>\n
Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The Next and The IX, released his latest book on May 7, 2024. This deeply reported story follows four connected generations of women\u2019s basketball pioneers, from Elvera \u201cPeps\u201d Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.<\/p>\n![\"Phoenix](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54565602502_3281a34827_k.jpg\")
<\/a>Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) huddles with other Mercury players during a game between the Mercury and the Minnesota Lynx at Target Center, Minneapolis, Minn., on June 3, 2025. (Photo credit: John McClellan | The Next)<\/p>\n
The Next<\/a>: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX<\/a>. 24\/7\/365 women\u2019s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.<\/p>\n
![\"Phoenix](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54566659109_539a10b44b_k.jpg\")
Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) attempts a layup while defended by Minnesota Lynx forward Jessica Shepard in a game between the Mercury and the Lynx at Target Center, Minneapolis, Minn. on June 3, 2025. (Photo credit: John McClellan | The Next)<\/p>\n