"I'll never forget the game" - Satou Sabally shares her 'welcome to WNBA moment' on Dallas Wings

The injury-plagued Dallas Wings can’t wait for the return of their star forward, Satou Sabally. Last year’s Most Improved Player winner, who is recuperating from a shoulder injury, will suit up for the team only after the Olympics. Sabally will compete with the German women’s national basketball squad in the said event.

2023 was the first time Sabally was healthy in her entire WNBA career. After playing just 34 games in three years, she saw action 38 times last year. Once injury-free, her skills promptly shone on the court. She was the deserving winner of the MIP after averaging career highs in points (18.6 PPG), rebounds (8.1 RPG), assists (4.4 APG) and steals (1.8 SPG).

A veteran now, she still remembers her rookie year with the Wings in 2020. Here’s what she had to say on “Podcast P with Paul George” about her “Welcome to the WNBA” moment:

(56:40 mark)

“Connecticut Suns, my first game against them. Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner, they violated us. It was like 20 points to 2. It was just awful and they didn’t stop. They just kept going and going. ... I'll never forget the game."

Satou Sabally’s first encounter with the Sun happened on August 7, 2020. Dallas played host to a Connecticut team led by DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas. Behind the two, the visitors raced to a 23-8 first-quarter lead and never looked back.

The Sun was particularly dominant in the paint, outscoring the Wings 52–32. Thomas was overwhelming in the shaded lane, hitting 6-of-10 shots a few feet from the rim. In the end, the 91-68 final margin did not tell the whole story of the beatdown.

Satou Sabally played 22 minutes and ended the night with a six-point, one-rebound and one-assist night. The rookie also committed a team-high four turnovers.

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Satou Sabally is hyped up every time she faces A’ja Wilson or Breanna Stewart

A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart have been two of the best forwards in the WNBA over the past few years. Last season, Stewart edged Wilson for the regular season MVP award but the Las Vegas Aces star had the last laugh. Wilson’s Aces won the 2023 championship and the finals MVP.

Satou Sabally isn’t on their level yet but here’s what she had to say about the matchups that get her hyped up:

(1:01:15 mark)

“The MVP! A’ja [Wilson] and ‘Stewie’ [Stewart]. Those two are really individually, to me, the players where I’m like, ‘Alright, let’s go.’

Wilson and Stewart are having MVP-type seasons again, while Satou Sabally can only look from the sidelines. When she returns from the Olympics, she will be raring to see how she fares against either one of them.

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