The previous weekend for the Phoenix Mercury was a rough one, especially for Satou Sabally. She only played one half of basketball on Friday, as head coach Nate Tibbetts benched her.
One game later, she was out due to a personal absence. It's unclear if she was with the team in Chicago. According to the Mercury's injury report, Sabally is not on it and is expected to play on Tuesday against the Connecticut Sun.
Despite a tumultuous second half of the season for the All-Star, she's shown the ability to bounce back. For instance, Tibbetts challenged Sabally earlier in the season, and the latter rose to the occasion.
Not to mention, she's recovering from an ankle injury. This could be one of those injuries that still bothers her, even though it is listed as “healthy.”
It's good news for the Mercury, though, as they will have their Big 3 of Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper, and Sabally on the floor. The trio hardly played together in the first half of the season, but they are making up for lost time.
Satou Sabally could bounce back for Mercury
The schedule gets easier for Phoenix, which is an automatic blessing. Still, there are some growing pains for Sabally. She played solely with Thomas and was the No. 2 option, sometimes even the No. 1 when Thomas was out.
Now, she's playing behind Copper and Thomas, which can make matters more difficult. Considering she's playing more off the ball, getting into a rhythm could take more time.
Either way, her multi-faceted game is extremely beneficial. There aren't many players who can contend with Sabally's skill set, mixed with her size.
There's physicality, but also finesse around the basket and on the perimeter. Making sure she's ready early is pivotal for this four-game home stand.
The Mercury will take on the Sun on Tuesday back at PHX Arena. It will be one of the handful of times that the X-factor will experience the Big 3 starting the game together.
