The unrivaled 3-on-3 professional women’s basketball league debuted in Miami (Fla.) ahead of the opening of WNBA free agency on Friday.
In a Thursday press release for the new league, the Phoenix Mercury’s Natasha Cloud called Unrivaled the “best place” to land a WNBA free agent signing, namely two-time All-Star Satou Sabally of the Dallas Wings.
Cloud, Phoenix’s starting point guard, said the Mercury’s offer to sign Savally included giving him his Valley home so he could join Phoenix. They are members of the Phantom BC team from Unrivaled.
“At the end of the day, I’m the one who thinks that whatever is best for Satou moving forward, that’s what Satou needs to move forward,” Cloud said. She added whimsically: “If it were Phoenix, I’d say it literally.” “I would give up my apartment if she wanted too.”
Cloud is known for his blunt sense of humor and political hot takes during media sessions and broadcasts. social media. She also loudly joked that she would be willing to “disband” a non-Phantom BC player if she found Sabally talking privately to try to recruit her to another WNBA team.
Sabally’s other Phantom BC (basketball club) teammates are Phoenix’s Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu of the defending WNBA champion New York Liberty, Connecticut’s Marina Mabrey and Indiana’s Katie Lou Samuelson. Phantom BC plays its first game against the Laces on Saturday at 12pm on truTV.
Sabally is in his fifth year at Oregon. Last season, she was the Wings’ second leading scorer behind 2024 Phoenix All-Star Game MVP Arike Ogunbowale with 17.9 points per game, while also averaging 6.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals, and ranked third on the team in 3-point percentage. Her career high of 45.2%. Sabally won the Most Improved Player Award in 2023, was selected to the All-WNBA First Team, and finished fifth in MVP voting that same year.
Sabally, a 6-4 forward, announced last week that he was done playing in Dallas and was seeking a new destination for the 2025 season. But she cannot enter free agency because the Wings extended a key qualifying offer to her on Monday in order to maintain exclusive negotiating rights in free agency.
This means Sabally could accept a one-year supermax contract from Dallas, or the two parties could mutually work out a sign-and-trade that would send her to a team of their mutual choice. Sabally also has the right to decline to be a trade target or sit out next season if he and Dallas cannot reach an agreement.
Wings is rebuilding. They missed the 2024 playoffs with the second-worst record in the league (9-31). They hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft while playing in the lottery for the third straight year, and in December hired Chris Koclanes as their third coach in five years.
Many WNBA experts believe Sabally’s next team could be New York. Ionescu is Sabally’s former Oregon teammate. They reached the 2019 Final Four together, and her sister Nyara Sabally is Ionescu’s New York teammate, so Ionescu’s recruiting pitch may seem more appealing due to their familiarity.
“I think my thoughts are a little different because we played together in college and I would say I’m trying to help and advise her regardless of whether she comes to New York or not,” Ionescu said.
Phoenix, Indiana and Las Vegas could also be in the mix for Sabally. Each playoff contender is in win mode right now. The veteran-heavy Phoenix posted a 19-21 record last year and was eliminated by championship runner-up Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs.
Players can begin negotiations with WNBA teams and sign new contracts starting February 1.
This article originally appeared in the Arizona Republic: Cloud recruits unique teammate, Wings star Sabally to join Mercury
