WNBA: As Unrivaled arrives, Satou Sabally shares free agency plans

Both the WNBA and Unrivaled have emphasized that the two professional leagues are not rivals. Rather, Unrivaled has been presented as a complement to the W. As Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier has stressed, the league is an alternative option to playing overseas during the WNBA offseason.

Individual WNBA teams, however, might see the new 3×3 professional league as an unfriendly rival, especially if, as already looks to be the case, the atmosphere encourages players’ eyes to wander toward other WNBA teams.

Unrivaled could unravel an organization’s best laid free agency plans.

That might be happening for the Dallas Wings. On Friday afternoon, speaking in Phantom BC’s press conference, Satou Sabally, an unrestricted free agent, revealed that, “I’m working with [the Wings organization] to find a next home for me, because I’ve already played my last game in Dallas,”

Sabally expressed her appreciation for the organization, sharing, “I’ve already communicated with Dallas how grateful I am because they’ve made this home for me for the past years,” before further adding:

Obviously, at first they were still trying, but I think what is most effective is working with the player and listening to their wishes and hearing out how we can find a best solution for each other So, there was always great communication and more on the agent front right now because I need to focus on Unrivaled and I will. So I’m trusting the people that I have on my staff and the front office… I have good communication with that.

On Thursday, new Wings general manager Curt Miller praised Sabally’s talent, albeit while being unclear as to whether or not she would be part of his team’s future, stating, “You have to compliment Satou’s career to this point. When healthy, she is an elite player and is a difference maker. You realize the talent she is.”

As our Beckett Harrison noted in his Wings free agency preview, re-signing Sabally, possibly through the core designation, should have been Dallas’ top priority. Instead, it seems more likely that the organization will core Sabally, using the designation to ensure the team can trade her and receive compensation in return, rather than watching her walk away as an unrestricted free agent.

When prognosticating about Sabally’s next WNBA destination, the eyes of fans and analysts naturally turned to New York and the defending-champion Liberty. At Unrivaled, Sabally is reunited with Sabrina Ionescu, with the former Oregon teammates both suiting up for Phantom. Sabally’s younger sister Nyara, of course, also plays for New York, with Satou sharing that “in the future” she “would love” to play with her sister. Does that future start in 2025?

In her comments, Sabally also implied that the Unrivaled experience could influence her free agency decision, as she noted:

And I’m just excited. I’m excited for free agency. I’m able to talk to a lot of players outside the league because I have not played on a different team yet and I’m excited to get to know them more on a personal level—but also knowing how they approach the game. And I just love having basketball conversations and high level basketball IQ conversations about the game to I know here I fit best in the future.

These revelations certainly put Sabally at the center at WNBA’s coming free agency storm. (Her insistence on departing Dallas also could spark further speculation as to whether or not presumptive No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers will look to angle her way to her preferred WNBA home ahead of the 2025 WNBA Draft in April.)

Dallas, however, is not the only organization potentially side-eyeing the Unrivaled ongoings. Alyssa Thomas, who has spent all 11 years of her WNBA career with the Connecticut Sun, was noncommittal about her future in Uncasville, stating, “Right now you get to play with different players that aren’t your usual teammates. Free agency is free agency. You have to separate the two. Who knows what’s going to happen in these upcoming weeks.”

Tiffany Hayes, a teammate of Thomas on Laces BC who is fresh off a Sixth Player of the Year season with the Las Vegas Aces, similarly was hesitant to reveal any free agency leanings, simply saying, “I’m really just focused on being here. It’s a privilege and honor to be able to play in a league like this.” DiJonai Carrington, an impending restricted free agent with the Sun who is playing for Mist BC in Unrivaled, adopted the same posture, only sharing, “My focus right now is to continue to develop my game and my skills. Hopefully teams will see that and my team obviously knows that. We’ll see where it takes us.”

The future of another Mist player, Jewell Loyd, already had attracted much attention after the longtime Seattle Storm star had requested a trade following the conclusion of the investigation into alleged mistreatment of players by the Storm coaching staff. Loyd, however, resisted adding any fuel to the trade speculations fires by choosing not to comment on her WNBA future.

Another Mist player also appears in for an interesting offseason: Courtney Vandersloot. The Liberty point guard, who was relegated to a bench role for the duration of New York’s run to the 2024 championship, shared comments that suggest she is open to finding a new team, saying:

I want to be valued. I want to be competitive, obviously. That’s why you come into this league—you want to be competing for championships. And a place that takes care of me, wants me to be there and…sees what I can bring to the team. That’s most important. I want to have the ball in my hands and be able to create the way that I can. And just be in a place that is comfortable for me and my family.

Vandersloot further explained:

I’m going to go through free agency and see the best situation for me and my family. Obviously New York is where I was currently [and I] feel like I’m part of the New York Liberty and coming off a championship. But I’m gonna go through free agency and just see what’s best for me.

Quite possibly, implicated WNBA organizations were well prepared for their players’ comments.

However, the conditions of Unrivaled, where all players have access to top-notch facilities and superstar treatment, in addition to ample opportunities to form alliances and affinities with players from other WNBA teams, could result in players developing new W dreams and, in turn, disrupting even the most disciplined and detailed organization’s offseason plans.