Video By Eliav Gabay
Article By Jeff Metcalfe
Nick U’Ren’s message to his Phoenix Mercury staff for this WNBA offseason was to “take one step forward” from 2024.
In reality, the Mercury are taking a giant step into their next era by acquiring All-WNBA forwards Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas.
Along with Kahleah Copper, now the team’s most veteran player in only her second season in Phoenix, the Mercury are morphing into a younger, more versatile version on the fly given the departure of Brittney Griner to Atlanta and expected retirement of Diana Taurasi.
Sabally will be 27 and Thomas 33 this season – both have birthdays in April – with Copper turning 31 in late August. Ideally, all would re-sign with the Mercury next season when the WNBA will be under a new collective bargaining agreement provided an agreement is reached.
Then U’Ren would have lighter lifting to do going into 2027 to build around his new core stars.
The 6-4 Sabally, introduced at a press conference Tuesday, understands the assignment of joining a team with three WNBA titles and playoff appearances in 11 of the last 12 years.
“I can’t let anyone down wearing a Phoenix Mercury jersey,” she said. “That comes with pride, it comes with history and legacy, and I take that very serious. I’ve watched BG and Diana play for many years and those are people I look up to. It would only be a disservice to not come in here with that drive. This is what I bring, and I think it’s a perfect fit.”
“What’s the magnitude of this moment for the @PhoenixMercury?”
Satou Sabally on the motivation she feels being part of the next chapter of a storied franchise & having the support of her co-stars:@Sports360AZ pic.twitter.com/oD9U1MXYYI
— Eliav Gabay (@eliavgabay) February 4, 2025
Sabally played her first five WNBA seasons with the Dallas Wings. She was All-WNBA first team and Most Improved Player in 2023 then limited to 15 games last season due to shoulder surgery in February 2024.
The Mercury acquired Sabally and Thomas, from the Connecticut Sun, last week in a four-team trade while giving up Natasha Cloud, Sophie Cunningham, Becca Allen and two 2025 draft picks.
Also coming to the Mercury from Dallas are center Kalani Brown and guard Sevgi Uzun. In a separate signing, guard Sami Whitcomb joined the Mercury, now with nine players under contract (not all protected) and $310,900 left in salary cap space. They must carry 11 or 12 players during a 44-game season that begins May 17.
Sabally wanted to leave Dallas, which made her a core player to get as much as possible in return from a trade. She signed a one-year contract for 2024 as a restricted free agent when U’Ren also was interested in acquiring her.
“When I took the job and canvassed the landscape of the league in terms of talent that might be available, she was a name we focused on for obvious reasons,” U’Ren said. “It didn’t work out last year, but hopefully that made an impression.”
Sabally and Thomas will each make a WNBA max salary of $215,000 this season. Mercury returning leading scorer Copper will make a super max $248,134.
“I really only considered organizations that are full in development and investment of women’s basketball,” Sabally said. “Our CBA negotiations are coming up this year so it’s important that players are pushed toward the organizations that want everything for them.”
“We put in so much and organizations put in so much so that should be a match. Being here in these facilities, seeing how we’re already really being treated as a professional and not as a semi-pro is a big difference. That will translate in the results you will get from players. I was more drawn to an organization that wants the same for me as I want to put on the court.”
“Who are you most excited to play with?
There IS a wrong answer…”@kahleahcopper asks @satou_sabally a question at her #Mercury intro presser 🤣🤣@Sports360AZ #WNBA pic.twitter.com/iIq1rpZHwx— Eliav Gabay (@eliavgabay) February 4, 2025
Sabally and Thomas could at times play point for the Mercury although it’s still possible that U’Ren could sign a more traditional point guard to pair with Uzun and/or Celeste Taylor. Whitcomb and Amy Atwell are shooting guards.
“She (Sabally) embodies the word versatility,” U’Ren said. “She can play some 1, some 5 and every position in between. You think about her (ball) handling, her off the ball, her length defensively. She’s the definition of a modern basketball player.”