This article originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Dallas Wings (1-9) will take on the Phoenix Mercury (6-4) in a WNBA Commissioner’s Cup showdown Wednesday at PHX Arena in Arizona.
Dallas has stumbled to the bottom of the league standings, plagued by injuries and narrow defeats early in the season. Meanwhile, Phoenix has surged to second place in the Western Conference, backed by strong team scoring and a top-tier defense (allowing just 97.0 points per 100 possessions).
Former Wings forward and current Mercury standout Satou Sabally — now in her sixth WNBA season — was asked Tuesday about Dallas rookie and No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers. Sabally, who was Dallas’s second overall pick in 2020 before being traded to Phoenix this offseason, offered high praise.
“She’s incredible,” Sabally said. “Paige can score from anywhere, she sets up her teammates, and she plays with such composure. I’ve been a fan since her college days, so I’m honestly glad she’s in our league now.”
Sabally, a 6-foot-4 forward from Oregon, earned WNBA All-Rookie honors in 2020 and became an All-Star in 2021. Last year, she was named Most Improved Player and landed on the All-WNBA First Team. So far in 2025, she’s leading the Mercury in scoring (20.5 PPG), rebounding (7.7 RPG), assists (3.0 APG), and steals (1.7 SPG) through 10 games.
On the other side, Bueckers — the former UConn star who led the Huskies to the 2025 NCAA title — has had a delayed pro debut, missing time due to a concussion and a recent illness that kept her out of Sunday’s loss to Minnesota.
However, Dallas announced Tuesday that Bueckers has cleared concussion protocol and is expected to play against Phoenix.
With the Wings in need of a spark, all attention turns to Bueckers as she prepares to take the court and potentially turn the tide for a struggling Dallas squad.
