When Satou Sabally was traded to the Phoenix Mercury, it made the X-factor hyped. Most importantly, it made the organization hyped that they were able to land a franchise player like Sabally. The former Dallas Wings forward is an up-and-coming star. After winning the 2023 Most Improved Player, she continued that trajectory.

Unfortunately, her season was cut in half due to shoulder surgery. She missed the first three months of the season before helping Germany in the Summer Olympics. Although her country didn't secure the Gold Medal, her skill set was on display for the world to see.  Once she came back to the Wings, she had the best 3-point shooting season of her life.

She shot 45.2% from 3 on a career-high 5.6 attempts per game. She's truly expanded her offensive to be a true inside-out scorer. Now, with Brittney Griner leaving the Mercury for the Atlanta Dream, there's a void in the post. Even after Griner left, Sabally had meetings with the Mercury. After officially signing, Sabally brings these three elements to her new team.

Satou Sabally brings rebounding

The Mercury were one of the worst teams when it came to rebounding. Even with the 6-foot-9 Griner on the floor, teams had a field day at the basket. As a result, they were 11th in the league in rebounding, with 32.3 per game as a collective unit. Sabally has averaged seven rebounds per game for her career.

The only player who averages more in her career that's currently on Phoenix is Alyssa Thomas. However, she'll grab a rebound and start the break. Sabally is down in the low post, trying to establish some offense. With her rebounding and craftiness inside, she can help the Mercury secure easy points in the paint, something that will truly help Kahleah Copper.

Furthermore, it'll help head coach Nate Tibbetts establish his perimeter-centric offense. His pace and space concept is so important, but it needs balance. Dominating on the boards can help generate second-chance points and get out on the fastbreak efficiently.

The Mercury could use Satou Sabally's scoring

Germany forward Satou Sabally (0) shoots the ball against France in the women’s basketball quarterfinals during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Three-level scoring is such a commodity in all of basketball. All of the premier WNBA teams have a multitude of three-level scorers, and Sabally is no exception. Since she came into the league, she's developed her perimeter game. The forward can handle the ball and operate in the pick-and-roll, among other things.

Her IQ is exceptional, and she knows how to use her scoring abilities and be a playmaker. For instance, she scored 33 points for Germany during the Olympics. That performance helped them clinch a quarterfinal berth. Her all-around game truly helped the Germans achieve victory.

Once again, with Griner gone, there's no legitimate post presence. While Sabally lives outside of the paint, she can put her back to the basket and score with ease. Her up-fakes, jab-steps, and crafty footwork make her too quick for bigs. Simultaneously, her size makes her too big for guards. She's the perfect match for any situation.

Satou Sabally will be a problem for other teams

Sabally being an offensive mismatch translates nicely into her versatility. However, it doesn't just come on the offensive side, it comes defensively as well. With her athleticism, she's able to stay in front of shiftier guards. Still, she's strong and stout enough to withstand post-centric players like Jonquel Jones and A'ja Wilson.

Sabally isn't an All-WNBA defender by any means, but her versatility is excellent. Tibbetts loves switching on pick-and-rolls, especially on the defensive side. Last season, there weren't many defenders, outside of Rebecca Allen, that could switch onto bigs and guards.

Fast forward to today, and the current Mercury forward can do that without any problem. Plus, it takes defensive pressure off of Thomas, who is a six-time All-WNBA defensive team specialist in her own right. At the end of the day, Sabally will make an immediate impact once the Mercury start their season in May against the Seattle Storm.