Support From Teammates Invaluable for Satou Sabally

On Tuesday, Satou Sabally returned to the Mercury lineup after missing a game due to personal reasons. She credited her teammates through supporting her through tough times after she played one of her best games of the season in her first game back.

Jul 27, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) reacts after a play in the first half against the Washington Mystics at CareFirst Arena. Mandatory Credit: Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images / Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

Just two days after missing Sunday night's road win against the Chicago Sky for personal reasons, Satou Sabally returned to the Phoenix Mercury's starting lineup against the Connecticut Sun. In the 82-66 win, she had one of her very best performances of the season, scoring 23 points in just 28 minutes, on 9-for-12 shooting.

She had struggled on the court since returning from an ankle injury and had been benched for the second half of a tough loss against the Atlanta Dream, after which head coach Nate Tibbetts said, "she didn't bring the energy that we needed." From the outside, some fans speculated that she had a rocky relationship with the team, especially after she missed the game immediately following her benching, but Tibbetts was quick to clarify that her absence was unrelated to the events of that game.

Her comments after the win against the Sun couldn't have been farther what many had assumed, as she expressed gratitude for the way she was being treated within the organization. "I really got to experience the family culture here, and I felt like I had just tremendous support along some rough days and I felt like I had just tremendous support along some rough days," she said, per Desert Wave Media.

"I think it's just going beyond the game, where you can trust people off the court, and that will translate on the court...I just really love that and appreciated it."

Sabally Shines

Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) is defended by Las Vegas Aces guard Tiffany Mitchell (3) during the third quarter at PHX Arena Jun 29, 2025. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tibbets said that Sabally "looked at peace tonight," and said he was happy to see how the team supported her through the things she's dealing with. "When you play at peace and you know that your teammates have your back, it's extremely important." He noted that her peaceful state of mind fed into her aggressiveness on the court, fueling her strong play.

"We know who Satou is, what she's about. She hasn't probably played to the level that she wants and we want since All-Star break. Some of it is just getting into a rhythm of playing again," said Tibbets, who expressed optimism surrounding her current state and her play going forward. Sabally feeling and playing like herself again could be huge for the Mercury, who spent the first half of the season looking like dark horse championship contenders, especially if her previously injured ankle is healed up.

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