Satou Sabally wins WNBA's most improved player

The WNBA named Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally its Most Improved Player, according to a Thursday release. She received 37 of the 60 total votes.

Los Angeles Sparks guard Jordin Canada took second place with 18 votes. Chicago Sky forward Alanna Smith took third place with three. Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and Washington Mystics guard Brittney Sykes each received one vote.

Sabally was among the leading scorers and rebounders for the Wings during the 2023 season. She averaged career highs in multiple categories, including points, rebounds, assists and steals per game. The former Oregon forward helped guide the Wings to the second round of the WNBA playoffs. She averaged 22.5 points, five assists and 2.5 steals per game in two games. Dallas finished as a top-4 seed in the WNBA and second in the league's Western Conference.

"We're not in this position we are right now without her. She has been the glue for this team," Dallas Wings head coach Latricia Trammell told ESPN before the playoffs, via ESPN women's basketball reporter Alexa Philippou. "I could coach her the rest of my career. She's just that type of player."

Sabally winning the award, along with her growth between this season and the last, shows the Wings have another star to pair with guard Arike Ogunbowale for the foreseeable future. Ogunbowale finished in fifth place in the league with 21.2 points per game during the 2023 regular season. She continued her scoring excellence in the WNBA playoffs, averaging 22 points per contest in two games.

With a core featuring Sabally, Ogunbowale, forward Natasha Howard and center Teaira McCowan, the Wings can be competitive within the West and beyond for at least the next few years. Only time will tell how far Dallas will go with an exciting group of young players.