Mercury All-Star Benched at Halftime in Loss to Dream

In Friday's game against the Atlanta Dream, the Phoenix Mercury came out for the second half without one of their biggest stars. Why was Satou Sabally benched in a must-win game?

Jul 27, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts instructs his team in the first half against the Washington Mystics at CareFirst Arena. Mandatory Credit: Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images / Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury suffered their worst loss of the season on Sunday, falling 95-72 in a game that was never close. The Atlanta Dream scored 34 points in the first quarter, setting the tone in a game where they got whatever they wanted on offense all night, and they led by 30+ for long stretches of the game. The score looks better than it should because the Mercury outscored the Dream 22-11 in a fourth quarter where the outcome had already been decided.

The box score looked rough for the Mercury -- they shot just 38.6% from the field and 25% from three -- but one stat in particular stands out: Satou Sabally, an All-Star starter and one of the team's best players, played just 11 minutes and did not touch the court in the second half. Backup center Kalani Brown was put back in the rotation in her stead.

Head coach Nate Tibbetts benched Sabally for the entire second half, saying it was a "coach's decision," per Desert Wave Media. "She didn't bring the energy that we needed," he said in a postgame presser.

Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) holds her head Wednesday, July 30, 2025, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Indiana Fever defeated the Phoenix Mercury, 107-101. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

She wasn't the only Mercury player who struggled in the road loss and the benching, perhaps intended to light a fire under the team (or under Sabally, for the next game, at least) didn't help the Mercury right the ship in the second half. They were outscored 26-8 in the third without Sabally. It was the fewest points Phoenix has scored in any quarter in any game this season.

Sabally, the team's leader in points per game, missed time this season with an ankle injury that kept her out of the All-Star Game, but has played in every game since play resumed after the All-Star break. That ankle could still be bothering her, as she's been less effective offensively since returning to a full lineup than she had been when she was carrying a bigger load on a team dealing with injury issues.

In the team's four losses after the break, she's shot just 14-for-47 (29.7%) from the field and 3-for-19 (15.7%) from three, with the lone positive shooting performance coming on a 6-for-10 night from the field in a win over the Washington Mystics.

Phoenix fans will be hoping that the extra rest will help Sabally if she's still bothered by the ankle issue and that she'll be able to get back on track over the coming weeks. If Phoenix is going to play up their potential, they'll need their star wing to play like her usual self.

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