Satou Sabally is set to return to Dallas this summer. The reigning Most Improved Player of the league has confirmed that she will be back with the Dallas Wings for the upcoming season under a 1-year contract, as revealed in her conversation with ESPN on Tuesday.
As a restricted free agent during the offseason, Sabally agreed to a 1-year deal worth $195,000, which is slightly less than the regular maximum deal by about $12,000.
Expressing her enthusiasm for the upcoming season, Sabally shared, “Just engaging in those basketball conversations really made us realize that we want to work together, and we want to bring a championship to Dallas. It could really be termed as unfinished business.”
Sabally, selected by the Wings as the No. 2 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft from Oregon, had an outstanding season last year. She secured her second All-Star nomination while maintaining an impressive average of 18.6 points and 8.1 rebounds.
This stellar performance led to her being honored as the Most Improved Player in the league and finishing fifth in MVP voting. The 6-foot-4 forward also achieved career highs in assists and steals per game, notching 14 double-doubles and shooting over 36% from behind the arc.
Despite being a restricted free agent, Sabally had received interest from six other teams during the offseason, as reported. Having played in China earlier in the WNBA offseason, she is now set to join the German national team in Brazil to pursue qualification for the 2024 Olympics.
The Dallas Wings, who finished with a 22-18 record last season and made the playoffs for the third consecutive year, faced elimination in the semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces, the eventual champions.
Sabally joins key players like Arike Ogunbowale, Natasha Howard, and Teaira McCowan in returning to Dallas. While the franchise won three WNBA championships during its time as the Detroit Shock, it has not clinched a title since relocating first to Tulsa and then to Dallas.
Sabally expressed her aspirations for the upcoming season, stating, “The most important thing for me next year is really finishing the mission of actually being the greatest team in the league and being a leader, developing as a leader and really paving the way for the future.
I think the WNBA is at such an amazing point right now in women’s sports and history, so being one of the faces that can be part of that is such an honor to me. … I’m grateful to be able to come back to a place that I call home. That is also super special and something I’ve worked hard for, so I’m just really excited and happy,” she told ESPN.
