WNBA Star Suffers Unfortunate Setback Before Unrivaled

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Before Unrivaled even kicks off its second season, one of the WNBA stars signed to the league has already received some bad news.

Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally won’t be able to join her Phantom BC team when the 2026 season of Unrivaled tips off in January after she was ruled out indefinitely due to concussion symptoms.

Sabally was part of the Mercury team that reached the WNBA Finals this past season. She averaged 16.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game, establishing herself as an All-Star once again.

Unfortunately, Sabally sustained a concussion in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals after she fell and slammed her head onto the knee/thigh area of Las Vegas Aces forward Kierstan Bell.

Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) holds her head during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 27-year-old WNBA veteran stayed on the ground for some time before she was assisted off the court by a teammate and a team staffer. She was eventually ruled out for the rest of the contest and Game 4, as the Mercury were swept by the Aces.

Now, according to an announcement by Unrivaled, Sabally is still experiencing “lingering symptoms” from the health issue.

As a result, Phantom BC signed Tiffany Hayes as Sabally’s replacement while she recovers. The league also shared that the Mercury star will be re-evaluated at a later date, but no specific timeline was revealed.

Naturally, fans were concerned for Sabally, especially since some time has already passed since her concussion.

“Ohh no not my Unicorn. I Pray For A Speedy Recovery,” a commenter wrote. Another one said, “Holy [expletive], poor Satou! Get well soon!”

“I was 8 rows up behind the Mercury bench the night she got hurt. She walked right past me into the tunnel when she was escorted out. I’ve never seen someone that bad off in real life. Closest I’ve ever seen is a severe head injury in the NFL, and I’ve only seen that on tv. It was shocking to see her like that, and I’m not surprised she’s got lingering symptoms. Poor Satou!” a fan remarked.

A supporter added, “Oh no! It looked like a nasty concussion and those are nothing to play around with. Wishing for a full recovery.”

“The way her head injury was handled by mercury medical staff was atrocious. so sad that she is having lingering symptoms, wishing Satou healing and recovery in her time off,” a poster stated.

“Is Satou gonna be alright because that was about 2 months ago praying for a full recovery,” a sixth follower said.

It’s certainly an unfortunate turn for Sabally, who starred for Phantom BC in the inaugural season. She averaged 15.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 14 games played.

Unrivaled Season 2 kicks off on Jan. 5, with games mainly played in Miami. However, there will also be some games in Philadelphia, as well as a one-on-one tournament in mid-February. The tournament will run until March.

Related: WNBA All-Star Fires Stern Message To Players Who Want Caitlin Clark To Fail

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 13, 2025, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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