The Phoenix Mercury have made another move in free agency to bolster their roster.
After losing All-Star center Brittney Griner to the Atlanta Dream but acquiring All-Star forward Alyssa Thomas in a trade with the Connecticut Sun, Phoenix landed another All-Star, Satou Sabally, from the Dallas Wings in a three-team trade that also involved the Indiana Fever, according to multiple reports Friday.
BRITTNEY GRINER: WNBA star signing with Atlanta Dream in free agency
MERCURY: Acquire 5-time All-Star Alyssa Thomas in trade with Sun
Sabally had a breakout campaign in 2023, picking up her second All-Star nod and the WNBA Most Improved Player award. However, Sabally was limited to only 15 games last season after injuring her shoulder while playing for the German national team. She averaged 17.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and five assists for Dallas in 2024. The injury-plagued Wings limped to a 9-31 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Sabally requested a trade from the Wings earlier this month, telling reporters ahead of her Unrivaled debut, ‘I’m working with (the Wings) to find a next home for me. I’ve already played my last game in Dallas.” Sabally made it clear that she’s looking for a franchise in free agency that prioritizes women’s sports and resources.
The No. 2 overall pick of the 2020 WNBA draft out of Oregon will get just that in Phoenix. The Mercury unveiled a new 58,000-square-foot, $100 million state-of-the-art practice facility in July, featuring two full-sized basketball courts named after Mercury legend Diana Taurasi. “We are committed to investing in our players and providing the best facilities and resources they need to be successful,’ said Mat Ishbia, owner of the Mercury and Phoenix Suns.
It’s not clear if Taurasi will return to the Mercury for her 21st season. Taurasi, 42, is an unrestricted free agent and has hinted at retirement. On Tuesday, the Mercury acquired Thomas in a trade with the Connecticut Sun, ESPN and The Athletic reported, sending guards Natasha Cloud, Rebecca Allen and the 12th overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft to the Sun, in exchange for Thomas and Ty Harris.
After finishing last in the league in 2023 with a 9-31 record, the Mercury finished in seventh place in 2024 with a 19-21 record. The team advanced to the postseason, before being swept in the first round by the Minnesota Lynx. The Mercury’s roster also includes All-Star forward and gold medalist Kahleah Cooper.
Aside from the Mercury, Sabally also expressed interest in joining her younger sister Nyara on the defending champion New York Liberty. Sabally’s Oregon teammate Sabrina Ionescu also plays for the Liberty.
‘Obviously really happy for her. Everyone that knows Satou and is close to her is happy,’ Ionescu said. ‘I’m excited for her and ready to see her journey. As for (New York) we have enough… Sad for her not to join and to be reunited with my college teammate, but we’re excited to go back and get another one this year.’
Fever send NaLyssa Smith to Wings as part of trade
The NaLyssa Smith trade was part of a busy week for the Fever.
Indiana drafted Smith with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 draft, and she made the WNBA All-Rookie first team that season after averaging 13.5 points and 7.9 rebounds. She upped her game in 2023, improving to 15.5 points per game and 9.2 rebounds. But she took a step back in 2024, with her averages dropping to 10.6 point per game and 7.1 rebounds.
The trade provides a homecoming for Smith, who was born in San Antonio Texas and played college basketball at Baylor, where she was a two-time AP All American.
This was the Fever’s second announced move of the day. Veteran power forward Natasha Howard is signing with Indiana for the 2025 season, per multiple reports. Howard, a two-time All-Star, a three-time WNBA champion and the 2019 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, spent the past two seasons with the Wings.
Earlier this week, the team announced they had re-signed All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell, after she accepted her core qualifying offer. Mitchell will once again pair up with Caitlin Clark in one of the league’s best backcourts.
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