The Mercury’s rise is worth noting as the team is now leading 2-1 against the mighty Lynx! But the road here was anything but easy, with competition that included powerhouses like the Las Vegas Aces, Atlanta Dream, and New York Liberty. “No one’s picking us to win this series. I know we believe in us, and so this is our journey,” said Nate Tibbetts in an interview with The Next Hoops back in mid-September. CBS Sports had already relegated the team to its Tier III list. Now, as they are just a game short of the finals, Satou Sabally aimed at ESPN during the postgame presser.

In the aftermath of Game 3, the Phoenix Mercury’s small forward, along with Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper, participated in a presser. During the same time, a reporter asked why the Mercury squad embraces being the underestimated ones. In response, Sabally said, “We started out the season, I think, ESPN, all of them, they ranked us really low.”

The Phoenix Number 0 continued with her dig, saying, “And I feel, to me, it’s a disrespect towards those two (points at Thomas and Copper). They’re gold medalists, they’re All-Stars, and to put that type of disrespect towards people who have literally been in the league for so long, um, has won a championship, like, that just fuelled us. And we’re the underdogs. We have something to prove to ourselves more than others.” But the discussions didn’t start overnight.

Back in October 2024, questions were raised about whether the Phoenix Mercury would be the same after Diana Taurasi’s exit. In a prediction discussion back in May, the ESPN crew, consisting of Alexa Philippou, Kendra Andrews, and Michael Voepel, brought up this player movement, which also included Brittney Griner’s exit as well.

While Philippou praised the trio of Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, and Kahleah Copper, she also questioned the team’s depth. Kendra Andrews, who highlighted that the team is “entering a completely new era”, also added that “It’s easier said than done to start over, no matter how talented the free agents you landed are.”

The analysis raised serious questions about how the new lineup will complement each other: “The organization has spoken highly about how well Sabally, Thomas and Copper will play next to each other, but how much time will it take to adjust? I’m curious if the Mercury will have to rely heavily on their big trio, because, as Alexa said, Phoenix lacks depth and experience otherwise.”

On May 16, the report was live. The season is over, and the Mercury looks like a serious contender for the ring. Even by the time the playoffs arrived, the confidence in Satou Sabally and co wasn’t completely there. A Playoff prediction report by Yahoo! Sports’ Cassandra Negley and Maggie Hendricks even claimed that the New York Liberty would win the Round 1 playoffs series against the Mercury in 3 games.

Well, Satou Sabally and Co. did prove the critics wrong. After all, not only did the team defeat the New York Liberty by a 2-1 score, but it also currently holds a 2-1 lead over the Minnesota Lynx in the Semi-Finals. According to the small forward, the same would not have been possible if the team hadn’t been treated as the underdogs.

Satou Sabally Revealed Having “The Most Fun” Amid Slumps and Other Issues With the Phoenix Mercury

Satou Sabally was traded to the Phoenix Mercury back in February as part of a 4-team trade between the Mercury, the Dallas Wings, the Connecticut Sun, and the Indiana Fever. Though Mercury’s decision to acquire Sabally was positive on an overall level, doubts were raised. Back in July, her shooting slump was pointed out, which many believed was preventing the Mercury from making a deep postseason run. The issues on offense continued. Despite that, Sabally cherishes her first regular season run with the Phoenix Mercury crew.

During the recent presser, Sabally stated, “I’ve had the most fun this year just by being motivated coming to work. They’re motivating me. They’re not taking it easy on me and want me to get better, and this is exactly what I came here for.”

As stated by basketball reporter Hayden Clilley, Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts “challenged Sabally throughout the season in a multitude of areas. Confidence, shooting, and consistency.” Sabally’s reported willingness to be challenged helped her grow. It is what allowed her to become a player with a shooting slump in the regular season to someone who averaged 19.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in the last 3 games against the Minnesota Lynx.

“So, it’s just such a nice feeling, and everyone brings it to the table. Sami (Whitcomb), with her energy, it just fuels you when people tell you, you’re not good enough,” Sabally added. “Don’t back down, just really believe in yourself, believe in the people around you and and keep your circle tight.”

The Phoenix Mercury have the chance to close the series with just another win and head to the Finals for the first time since 2021. Whether Satou Sabally personally plays a role in this effort to close out the series is something that remains to be seen.