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The Dallas Wings reportedly traded Satou Sabally to the Phoenix Mercury on Friday as part of a three-team deal. Kendra Andrews of ESPN revealed the full details of the trade after breaking the news.
“The trade is between the Mercury, Wings and Fever. Phoenix gets Sabally, Kalani Brown and Sevgi Uzun. Dallas gets Ty Harris, NaLyssa Smith (via Indy) the rights to Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and the No. 8 pick from Indy. Indiana gets Sophie Cunningham and the No. 19 pick,” Andrews wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Wings trade Satou Sabally
Sabally, who made her WNBA debut during the 2020 season, has spent her entire career with the Wings up to this point. She has earned two All-Star selections in her career as well.
Sabally's true breakout season came in 2023, however, as she earned her second All-Star selection and averaged career-highs in points per game (18.6), field goal percentage (43.5 percent) and rebounds per game (8.1). She ended up finishing fifth in WNBA MVP voting following her strong campaign, while the Wings also made a deep postseason run.
Things were good in Dallas, and it seems as if the future was bright for the team. Sabally ended up undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, however. As a result, she did not play basketball until the Olympics. Sabally returned to the Wings in August following the Olympics and she appeared in 15 games. However, the Wings had struggled due to other injuries and underperformance, and Dallas ultimately missed the postseason.
Sabally ended up making it clear that she was moving on during the offseason. The Wings made the move to core her, but a trade still appeared likely to come to fruition.
Sure enough, the deal surfaced on Friday.
Evaluating the Wings' trade
The Wings acquired Ty Harris, NaLyssa Smith, the rights to Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and the No. 8 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. They traded Sabally, Kalani Brown and Sevgi Uzun, however.
Smith is only 24 years old should fit well with Dallas. A 6'4″ forward, she can help to replace Satou Sabally. Of course, Sabally is the better player but Smith features potential. She has averaged 13 points and eight rebounds through her first three seasons in the league.
Smith has a chance to make an immediate impact.
For Ty Harris, this trade represents a reunion with the first team she played for in the WNBA. Harris made her WNBA debut in 2020 with Dallas, and would spend the next two seasons with the Wings as well. She has since played for the Connecticut Sun before getting traded to the Mercury this offseason. She will now switch teams again, as she prepares to join the Wings.
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, a 26-year-old, has only appeared in 53 total games. Still, she could provide depth for the Wings.
The No. 8 pick is an important part of the deal. No, the Wings likely won't land a superstar at No. 8 overall, but they could draft an impactful player.
Mercury add Satou Sabally
As mentioned, Sabally is one of the best players in the WNBA. It has been an up and down offseason for Phoenix, as Brittney Griner is planning to sign with the Atlanta Dream and retirement rumors are swirling around Diana Taurasi's future. They have added Alyssa Thomas and now Sabally, however.
The fact that Phoenix was also able to add Kalani Brown and Sevgi Uzun makes this an overall quality deal for the team. Brown will help the team's forward depth while Uzun is a guard set to enter her second season in the league. Both players are only 27 years old, so they could factor into the Mercury's long-term future as well.
Fever get involved
The Fever made this trade possible by trading Smith to the Wings as part of the deal. Indiana strengthened their roster as well, though.
Sophie Cunningham and the No. 19 pick in the draft are headed to Indiana. Cunningham, 28, is a good three-point shooter who should fit Indiana's offense well. The No. 19 pick isn't especially enticing, but the Cunningham addition is a respectable acquisition for Indiana.
Let's grade the trade
The Wings surely did not want to trade Sabally, but the star forward was looking for a fresh start. Dallas could have possibly landed a better overall return in a different deal, but this specific return isn't terrible by any means. Smith is the most interesting addition, as she could become a star at some point down the road.
It's difficult to argue against the Mercury's return. Sabally is a star and Brown and Uzun will provide extra depth.
Smith had been mentioned in trade rumors and her fit on the Fever's roster was questionable. Trading Smith isn't ideal, but adding Cunningham should help Indiana.
Without further ado, here are our final trade grades for each team in this deal.
Indiana Fever: B+
Dallas Wings: B
Phoenix Mercury: A
