If we had to describe this offseason, one word would suffice: heavy. Overhaul, reloads, and full-on rebuilds, that’s been the vibe. And if you’re a Dallas Wings fan, well…before the franchise could even draft what’s supposed to be its future face, it lost the one it already had. Satou Sabally reportedly asked out and packed up. And she didn’t leave alone. The one who became Wings’ saviour when everything was falling apart, Kalani Brown, was right behind her, catching the same bus to Phoenix.

This all happened while the league was still recovering from one of the wildest weeks we’ve seen in a while. We saw six different multi-time All-Stars move around. Phoenix Mercury pulled off a power play, landing the two-time WNBA All-Star in a three-team deal with the Indiana Fever and Wings. Along with Sabally came center Kalani Brown and guard Sevgi Uzun. 

Now, Brown and Sabally are set to share the court again, just in a different jersey. And they’re actually feeling pretty good about the switch. At least Kalani is, because she kept it real during training camp, saying, “We both just came out of a tough situation and we just wanted to play together.” Actually, ‘tough’ might be sugarcoating it for what Brown went through. She entered the 2023 season on a training camp contract with the Wings, but before she could even unpack, she was waived.

Then injuries tore through Dallas like a tornado. And suddenly, they were calling her back—not once, not twice, but through multiple hardship contracts. Coach Latricia Trammell said it best, “She’s someone that wants and deserves to be in this league. I had her when she was a rookie, so that was special…going full circle to come back and, and be with me here.” Brown’s journey began with the LA Sparks in 2019, picked 7th overall. And Trammell was an assistant coach back then.

That past connection made it an easy call to insert Brown into the starting lineup when Teaira McCowan was off representing Turkey. Despite all the back-and-forth in her Wings stint, Brown became the only bench player with actual WNBA experience last season. Started just two games, averaged 13.3 minutes, and still held it down. 

Meanwhile,  Sabally’s exit from Dallas wasn’t some overnight decision. Back in January, she made it clear, she loved what Dallas gave her over the past five years, but it was time for something new. She wanted more. Not just for herself but for players overall…better resources, transparency, facilities, the whole thing. 

She was rigid about not signing with any franchise that didn’t match her vision. Phoenix heard her loud and clear. In July 2024, the Mercury revealed their shiny new gem—a 58,000-square-foot practice facility in downtown Phoenix. This palace has two full-sized courts named after Diana Taurasi, a fitness center, hydrotherapy room, massive locker room, kitchen with a dedicated chef. Could it be more fitting?

Especially coming after a year in which she was dealing with a shoulder injury she picked up while playing with Germany. Still, when she did hit the floor, she made every minute count—averaging 17.9 points and 6.4 rebounds. But let’s zoom out a sec. It wasn’t just individual chaos. The whole Wings squad was total meltdown. They opened the season with a decent 3–3 record in May and then June hit. Like a wrecking ball. Eleven straight losses later, they were spiraling. The Wings finished 9–31. That’s second-worst-in-franchise-history bad.

So yes, for Brown and Sabally both are coming out of chaos, frustration, and more L’s than anyone. Now, with hopefully no hardship contact and top-notch facilities, they’re diving into a new chapter under Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts. His system is fast-paced and aggressive. Not exactly what either of them’s used to, so there might be an adjustment period.

But they’re ready. They’ve played through storms and survived. As Brown said herself, “We’re really taking it one day at a time.” Phoenix is also in its own rebuild, but it might just be the right kind of hustle. 

The Mercury’s new big 3: Satou Sabally, AT, and Kah 

After finishing 19-21 last season, getting swept in the first round, and then seeing Brittney Griner leave and Diana Taursai retire, too, the Phoenix Mercury really had no choice but to hit the reset button hard. All-Star Kahleah Copper is pretty much the only notable returnee from last year’s squad. Natasha Cloud and Rebecca Allen are gone to Connecticut in a trade that brought MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas to town. 

Sophie Cunningham, the fan-favorite who lived and breathed Mercury for six seasons, is also gone. She’s in Indiana now. So what’s the plan? Well, it’s all about building around this new Big 3 — Sabally, Thomas, and Copper — and trying to kickstart a whole new era without Griner and Taurasi. Sabally will be teaming up with Thomas in the frontcourt, which sounds kind of terrifying for opponents. Thomas, after all, is basically a human Swiss Army knife. Coach Nate Tibbetts even said Thomas will be playing all five positions. 

The Mercury’s preseason roster is young. We’re talking the seventh-youngest squad in the league at an average of 26.5 years old, and that’s even with 36-year-old point guard Sami Whitcomb joining from Seattle. Nine rookies, five players with under three years of experience. Still, Copper isn’t sweating it. “I’m 30 now so I’m not technically still young, but whatever,” she said. “I’m just happy that everyone’s healthy and that we have a great team and that everyone’s excited to play and to win.” 

First day of training camp you could feel the difference in the air. New energy, new faces. “It’s been a wild and exciting offseason, but glad to be in the gym here again today,” said Tibbetts.  If you’re worried about chemistry with all these new faces, it’s expected that veterans like Whitcomb will help guide the young guns, and Thomas, Copper, and Sabally setting the tone, this team could actually click faster than people think. 

So, here we are. For the first time in forever, Mercury fans are looking at a brand new chapter. It’s scary. It’s exciting. It’s a little bit of everything. But it’s also full of possibilities. Will the Mercury rise again? We can’t wait to watch it all unfold.