Jun 11, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) reacts against the Dallas Wings in the first half at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Former Wings' reasons for trade request should be warning to Paige Bueckers

Originally posted on Dallas Wings on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 6:45 PM ET

Satou Sabally was the second overall pick by the Dallas Wings back in 2020, and she had some great seasons with the team, winning the Most Improved Player Award and being a First Team All-WNBA selection in 2023. However, the team wasn't great, going 71-99 in her five seasons, only winning one playoff series.

That led to her asking for a trade, and she was granted that as part of a massive ten-team deal that sent her to the Phoenix Mercury. That trade gave the Wings Tyasha Harris, DiJonai Carrington, and NaLyssa Smith. Two of those players aren't on the team anymore after midseason trades, and Harris has only played five games due to a knee injury.

Sabally recently went on the "Bird's Eye View" podcast with WNBA legend Sue Bird, where she talked about some of the reasons she had to get out of Dallas.

“I felt like I left everything in Dallas, and I poured so much into a club where I felt like there’s no stability… or the groundwork," Sabally started. "I was just happy that Phoenix [is] an organization that really provides for their players and has an ecosystem that allows you to really flourish and focus on the best rehab."

"I realized once I was here, I’m like, ‘Oh… there was not a lot of resources.’ Worrying about your own pregame meals, that’s crazy…We deserve to be in organizations that cater to their players, and this is what’s happening here.”

Is Paige Bueckers Good Enough to Right the Team's Wrongs?

Bueckers has had a historic rookie season, but it hasn't been enough to get the Wings out of the basement of the WNBA. Sabally's trade demand and her thoughts about the Wings likely haven't all been fixed in one year, and the franchise will want to make sure they do everything they can to make Bueckers happy.

It'll start this offseason, where they have a 40% chance of landing the first pick. They also need to make a decision on four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale, who is a free agent after this season. It doesn't seem like her and Bueckers are the best fits, but there also wasn't much spacing given by the rest of the roster. It'll be a big offseason for Dallas, as Bueckers is already a superstar. They just have to make sure they keep her.

This article first appeared on Dallas Wings on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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