Mercury Coach Addresses Controversial Satou Sabally Head Injury Handling

But the attempt to get her there wasn't well thought out, and videos of them walking Sabally away sparked scrutiny because it seemed like they didn't do a good job of stabilizing her head or otherwise limiting the potential concussive impacts of the head injury.

A great example of this scrutiny came via a viral post from concussion specialist Jess Schwartz, who made an X post addressing how the injury was handled by writing, "When an athlete experiences a possible head and neck injury, lifting or moving them manually without stabilizing the neck can cause serious secondary injury.

"What we saw today is a reminder that concussion and spinal injury protocols are not just medical checklists, they are lifesaving procedures designed to protect athletes’ futures both on and off the court," the post added.

It didn't take long for news to break that Sabally did indeed receive a concussion as a result of this hit, which will keep her sidelined for Game 4 on Friday (where the Aces have a chance to sweep Phoenix and become 2025 WNBA champions).

Mercury's Nate Tibbetts Speaks on Satou Sabally Injury Handling

Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbetts spoke with the media on October 10. After noting that Sabally is now back home after spending Wednesday night in the hospital, Tibbetts was asked about the medical staff picking her up in the wake of the injury.

"I'm not sure the process. It was good, the other night, talking to some of our medical team. There was discussion with Satou when she was on the floor, like how she was feeling, if there was pain here or there," Tibbetts said, per an X post from Desert Wave Media.

"They wouldn't have moved her if she was in any kind of jeopardy. I'm sure she was telling them she was fine, would be my guess," he added. "If the process was for her not to be picked up, I'm guessing our group wouldn't have picked her up.

"And so, I don't know the protocol on it. It sounds like we handled it the right way," he concluded.

This response is sure to raise some eyebrows, especially once some of the medical professionals who condemned how Sabally's head was handled hear about it.