Satou Sabally Called out by Popular Analyst for Dubious Claim on WNBA-Unrivaled Standoff

Is the fate of the WNBA in danger? Well, if you ask WNBPA vice president Napheesa Collier, she would say yes. “It feels like it’s kind of the same old, same old; we’re not making a lot of progress,” she said. With CBA negotiations stalled, the league risks a delayed start or even a lockout for the 2026 season. Amidst this chaos, the debate in favor of the competitor league Unrivaled has only fueled the tension. But there’s another thread sticking out like a sore thumb.

Tensions spiked during All-Star weekend, when negotiations behind closed doors quickly turned into collective fatigue for the players. Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams didn’t mince words on her way out, casually tossing out: “I need to go take…2 shots bro, to get my energy right“. The clash boils down to how the WNBA views its players suiting up in other leagues like Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited. As Gabby Williams further doubled down, “Especially being in the CBA meeting yesterday, it’s very clear that the league wants to push away all other leagues without still paying us more than those other leagues pay us.”

The debate only deepened when Mercury forward Satou Sabally came into the picture, who also serves on the WNBPA Leadership Committee. Before the Mercury-Sparks game, she was asked about the WNBA preventing players from joining overseas leagues through measures such as the “prioritization clause” in the offseason. Her response was blunt. “I wasn’t aware that they already publicly announced that. That’s wrong. I made more money at Unrivaled than any year in my entire WNBA career.” But her comments put her directly in the crosshairs of analyst Rachel DeMita.

On her Courtside Club podcast, DeMita questioned Sabally’s comments. She wondered how Sabally did not know about this when she was the first to make it public. “The thing that stood out to me the most about this was that Satou said, ‘I wasn’t aware that was made public yet.’ Well, Satou was the one who made that information public on her TikTok,” DeMita said. The TikTok in question included the caption, “I could go on a whole rant… And we still make more money at Unrivaled or overseas, which they want us to stop playing in too.” However, DeMita gave Sabally the benefit of the doubt. She suggested Sabally may have revealed it accidentally and not realized she had done so.

Still, the analyst did not back her claim about money. “If you are going to be making the big bucks playing in the WNBA, the owners are not going to allow you to risk your body and risk injury and go play for a competitor’s league [Unrivaled] during the offseason. And if you don’t want to play in the WNBA and you make more money elsewhere, then the WNBA is not holding you hostage,” DeMita explained. Still and all, Gabby Williams might have a simple answer for this.

“It would make sense if they were paying us more here but it still isn’t the case, even with the new proposal. And it’s very clear now that they want to push Unrivaled out, push [Athletes Unlimited] out…so I think now more than ever it’s important to push against these kinds of issues,” Williams explained. But what about injuries?

Can Unrivaled and the WNBA co-exist?

According to the current situation, many players need year-round play to secure financial stability. After the WNBA season, stars like Napheesa Collier, Sabrina Ionescu, and Angel Reese shift to Unrivaled’s three-on-three format. While this gives fans a chance to witness their favorite players all year long, it also increases wear-and-tear on players’ bodies.

Unrivaled’s first season ran from January 17 to March 17, 2025. And the aftereffects are emerging in the 2025 season of the W. By July 18, 141 injuries had been recorded in 2025. Knee and ankle issues, often caused by wear and tear, dominated the list. The league has not even reached the postseason, yet this is already among the most injurious seasons ever. For comparison, the 2024 season recorded 203 injuries in total, and the 2023 season recorded 175.

And sure, injuries are part of the game, no matter where you play. If it weren’t Unrivaled, many of these players would still be overseas, grinding through EuroLeague seasons, or at Athletes Unlimited. And if not there, they’d be in pickup runs or heavy training sessions. Bottom line? Every path a pro takes comes with its own injury risks. But while Unrivaled may not be the direct cause, it contributes to the overall wear on players’ bodies. That stress could rise further in 2026 when the WNBA plans to add two new teams. More teams mean more games, and the physical toll will only increase. But again, we cannot put the entire blame on those trying to make ends meet; the scheduling this season was disastrous in itself.

As Sabally put it bluntly, “We had nine games in 18 days. That’s not really responsible for a commissioner.” So, what do you think is, what should be Cathy Engelbert’s next step?