After five years in Dallas, the star forward will work with the Wings to find a new home
During an Unrivaled press conference Thursday, All-WNBA forward Satou Sabally announced her time with the Dallas Wings has ended. “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 told reporters.
Rumors have been swirling about Sabally’s future in Dallas since the end of the 2024 WNBA season. Sabally’s statement confirms her desire to play elsewhere as she enters free agency for the first time.
Sabally, a German national, was selected second overall in the 2020 WNBA draft out of Oregon. Last season, she appeared in just 15 games for the Wings after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. In 2023, she averaged 18.6 points per game in a career-high 38 games en route to earning All-WNBA First Team honors. Staying healthy has been an issue for Sabally throughout her career, as she’s averaged just 19.4 games played per season.
Though Sabally is an unrestricted free agent, she will not leave the Wings for nothing. She is eligible for the WNBA’s core designation (similar to a franchise tag in the NFL), and Dallas will certainly core her (sign her to a one-year, max contract) and look for a suitable trade package. Though Saballay cannot be cored and traded without consenting to the deal, her only recourse in refusing a trade would be to sit out the 2025 season. The Wings will look to recoup assets in a sign-and-trade deal; from Sabally’s comments, it sounds like the two parties are amicably working together to execute a trade that makes sense for both sides.
“I’ve already communicated with Dallas how grateful I am because they’ve made this home for me for the past years,” Sabally emphasized. Her departure will firmly entrench Dallas in a rebuild as they prepare to select first overall in the 2025 WNBA draft.