The Mercury Outpaced Sabally’s Old Team—and Here’s How
But here’s the twist you may not expect: Satou Sabally powered the Phoenix Mercury to the brink of the playoffs and even a Finals appearance, yet her former team wouldn’t stay in the spotlight for long. This is the story of how a star who once lit up Dallas helped Phoenix surge, and why the final chapters of their paths diverged.
Satou Sabally became one of the Mercury’s biggest acquisitions in 2025, delivering a standout season. She led Phoenix in scoring during both the regular season and the playoffs and played a pivotal role in steering the team to the WNBA Finals. Her Finals run, however, was cut short by a concussion.
Sabally had already earned All-Star honors with Phoenix last year, though she missed the All-Star Game due to an ankle injury. The Mercury still had a presence on that roster—Alyssa Thomas was selected to Team Collier, marking another notable standout who arrived that season and delivered a landmark performance for the team.
In Sabally’s career arc, she also shined for her former squad, the Dallas Wings. Drafted in 2020 by Dallas, Sabally put up 13.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in her rookie year, a season played during the WNBA’s isolation-era restart. She remained with the Wings for several seasons, and in 2024 she averaged 17.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, five assists, and 1.3 steals per game. As a Western Conference team, Dallas met Phoenix several times that season.
Their first meeting saw Dallas prevail 107-92 behind a 40-point performance from Arike Ogunbowale, with three additional Wings players scoring in double figures. Sabally did not play that night, but Dallas still secured the win.
In the second matchup, Phoenix edged Dallas 97-90 in double overtime. Kahleah Copper, who had joined the Mercury that season, led Phoenix with 29 points, while Ogunbowale added 25 points, and four other Wings players also reached double digits. Sabally again sat out that game.
Phoenix captured the third game of the series, denying Natasha Howard a big night for Dallas—Howard led Dallas with 36 points, yet Copper matched with 34, and Phoenix emerged victorious.
With a 2-1 series lead, Phoenix closed out the series with a 100-84 win in Game 4 to complete a 3-1 series victory. Sabally remained sidelined, and Howard led Dallas with 19 points. Copper continued to shine with 32 points in that decisive game.
Sabally never played against her upcoming team in those early encounters, but Dallas did win at least one of the matchups. Phoenix then took the reins, and once they clicked, they proved difficult to stop.
For more insights into Satou Sabally’s journey, follow us on X and stay tuned for updates.
