The place Satou Sabally was going to play subsequent WNBA season has been a large supply of hypothesis for weeks. And just some hours away from WNBA free company formally starting, on Friday night, ESPN reported that the Dallas Wings are buying and selling Sabally to the Phoenix Mercury in a three-team commerce. Alongside Sabally, the Wings purchase heart Kalani Brown and level guard Sevgi Uzun from Dallas.
As a part of the commerce, the Wings will obtain Ty Harris (who performed for the Connecticut Solar final season however was acquired by the Phoenix Mercury within the Alyssa Thomas commerce). They’ll additionally land Mercury ahead Kiki Herbert Harrigan and Indiana ahead Fever NaLyssa Smith.
The Fever, in the meantime, acquired guard Sophie Cunningham and the Mercury’s 2025 No. 19 decide. Cunningham was a Sixth Participant of the 12 months candidate for a lot of final season, averaging 8.4 factors and three.9 rebounds per sport.
Full three-team commerce particulars:
- Indiana Fever purchase: Sophie Cunningham, 2025 No. 19 decide
- Phoenix Mercury purchase: Satou Sabally, Kalani Brown, Sevgi Uzun
- Dallas Wings purchase: Ty Harris, Kiki Herbert Harrigan, NaLyssa Smith
How Satou Sabally landed in Phoenix
Sabally has spent her whole profession in Dallas since being drafted with the No. 2 decide in 2020. Earlier this month, she was cored by the Wings, which means that she could be provided a one-year, $249,000 contract — or she may request a commerce. Sabally made clear in her first Unequalled media availability that she needed to go elsewhere, notably emphasizing a need to affix a corporation with services and a prioritization of funding by the house owners.
The Mercury — who unveiled a brand-new follow facility in July — match the invoice. On Friday night time, Sabally agreed to the sign-and-trade, and in flip, she joined Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper in headlining a brand new Huge Three in Phoenix.
What the Indiana Fever achieve from the three-team commerce
In September, Sophie Cunningham instructed SB Nation that her largest contribution to the Phoenix Mercury was her management.
“It’s being the glue of the workforce and ensuring that every one these personalities, and typically egos, are all coming collectively, and making an attempt to create a fantastic tradition and a fantastic surroundings for folks to thrive and achieve success,” Cunningham mentioned. “And so for me, it’s just about off-court stuff. It’s about constructing chemistry. It’s about constructing rhythm. After which when you may have that, and you’ve got that kind of workforce, naturally issues go fairly nicely for these groups on the nook as nicely.”
However, her on-court contributions weren’t too shabby, both. Final season, Cunningham shot 37.8% from three — and now, she offers one other ground spacer for the Indiana Fever to work with alongside Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, Aliyah Boston, and Natasha Howard — whose signing was introduced and reported by ESPN earlier on Friday. Both Cunningham or Hull will probably come off the bench — however having two gamers who can unfold the ground and hit open threes alongside Clark and Mitchell is the last word luxurious.
What the Dallas Wings get in return for Sabally
As a part of the three-team commerce, the Wings acquired NaLyssa Smith from the Fever. Smith, the No. 2 decide within the 2022 draft, had a down yr final season — and largely fell out of the rotation within the postseason. However, only a yr in the past, Smith averaged 15.5 factors and 9.2 rebounds on 47.7% capturing in Indiana. She’ll probably profit from a surroundings change — and, from her quick social media exercise, which included updating her Instagram bio and posting a photograph with Wings star Arike Ogunbowale, it appears she’s embracing the change.
Along with Smith, the Wings acquired Ty Harris, who’s coming off a profession season with the Connecticut Solar. Harris averaged 10.5 factors and three assists final yr whereas capturing 39.5% from three. Harris is a dependable playmaker who can instantly play alongside Ogunbowale. Additionally they acquired Kiki Herbert Harrigan from Phoenix, who averaged 3.2 factors in 10.8 minutes per sport final season.
Alongside Sabally, the Wings lose two rotation gamers in Sevgi Uzun (4.4 factors, 3 assists) and Kalani Brown (5.7 factors, 3.1 rebounds). However, the return is substantial — particularly if Smith can return to her 2023 kind.
Friday’s commerce was an ideal reminder of what occurs when a famous person needs out. On this case, six different gamers obtained moved (Sophie Cunningham, Satou Sabally, Kalani Brown, Sevgi Uzun, Ty Harris, Kiki Herbert Harrigan, and NaLyssa Smith). Who’s the last word winner from the commerce stays to be seen, however no less than proper now, it seems that the Mercury have positioned themselves nicely with a brand-new core of Sabally, Thomas, and Copper.