Aug 4, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; Germany forward Satou Sabally (0) controls the ball against United States guard Jackie Young (13) in the second half in a women’s group C game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Phoenix's Forward Represents Country, Shines In Olympics

Originally posted on Phoenix Mercury On SI
By Davion Moore | Last updated Nov 22, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Olympics are an exciting time, as some of the WNBA's best players are not only representing their country, they are going for gold. The U.S women's basketball team has been unstoppable over the years, and players like Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Lisa Leslie and others have been a part of that history.

John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Then, the WNBA has had international stars like Lauren Jackson, Penny Taylor and others have represented their countries. Jackson and Taylor were both key players for Australia over the years, and they helped them win multiple medals.

The Phoenix Mercury have had players involved in the Olympics, and as far as more recent events, Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas played. They were on the 2024 roster, and they played with Taurasi in what would be her last Olympic games. Thomas was still with the Connecticut Sun at that time, but later on, she would join the Mercury. Brittney Griner was still with the Mercury, but she would later play for the Atlanta Dream.

During that time, another future Mercury player was in action, as Satou Sabally represented Germany.

Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Sabally played well during the Olympics, and in Germany's game against Belgium, she led her team to victory. The "Unicorn" had 17 points, six rebounds, two assists and a block in Germany's 83-69 win.

Sabally goes off in Germany's second game

Germany picked up another win after that, as the team took down Japan. Sabally had a big game, as she had 33 points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal in her team's 75-64 win.

In the next game, Germany faced Team USA. This was Germany's first loss, as USA won 87-68. Sabally was the team's leading scorer once again, as she had 15 points. She also had five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

John David Mercer-Imagn Images

On the other side, Team USA was led by Jackie Young, as she had 19 points, four rebounds, four steals and two assists.

Then, Germany played one more game, and it was against France. Sabally had 10 points, six rebounds, an assist and a steal.

Overall, the "Unicorn" averaged 18.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, two assists and a steal. During that time, she was teammates with her sister, Nyara, as well as a player tied to the Mercury. Marie Gulich was drafted by Phoenix in 2018, and she spent a year with them before playing elsewhere.

It was still some time before Sabally joined the Mercury, but her performance during this time was a glimpse of what she would bring to Phoenix.

This article first appeared on Phoenix Mercury On SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: