Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally announced late Wednesday that she was nursing an ankle injury and wouldn’t be able to recover in time for Saturday’s All-Star game at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Sabally was voted one of the 10 All-Star starters by the media, players, and fans. She was all set to play for Team Clark, the Caitlin Clark-led team, but she has now pulled out of the game.
How Are Fans Reacting to Satou Sabally’s All-Star Withdrawal?
Fans took to X to share their opinions and thoughts about Sabally’s decision as the news broke. While most reacted positively, some believed she could have pulled out earlier if she had known her injury wouldn’t heal in time.
I was hoping to see the Sabrina-Satou connection on the court again 💔 Health is wealth and the playoffs are just around the corner! Maybe next year! https://t.co/EJyzB5abs4
— ✨Cosmic Raccoon✨ (@YeeYeeAstronaut) July 17, 2025
One women’s hoops fan wrote, “I was hoping to see the Sabrina-Satou connection on the court again 💔 . Health is wealth, and the playoffs are just around the corner! Maybe next year!” Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally were college teammates for the Oregon Ducks, and they lit up the court together. Clearly, this fan was looking forward to seeing them play together on Team Clark.
One fan kept the message simple and said, “I commend the decision.” Meanwhile, another fan responded to this news by saying, “Indiana is a curse 😭.”
An Alyssa Thomas fan responded to the news and said, “Heal up Satou ❤️🙏, see you soon, I hope.” Other Phoenix Mercury fans also rallied behind her, with one tweeting, “Rest up! We get a championship to win! 🙂↕️”
She knew this before the draft and should have removed herself from the board…BS call out…
— Dan DeMaio (@DanDeMaio1) July 17, 2025
However, not all fans reacted positively to the news. One fan called out the forward and said, “She knew this before the draft and should have removed herself from the board…BS call out…”
Sabally addressed the situation on her Instagram story on Wednesday, explaining her difficult decision.
“Over the past two weeks, I’ve been working around the clock to rehab my body from injury with two goals in mind: to return to the court with my Mercury sisters as soon as possible and to be able to participate as a starter in the All-Star Game. Unfortunately, my body still needs more time to recover, and I am unable to suit up and play in this weekend’s game.”
Rest up! We get a championship to win! 🙂↕️ https://t.co/WoqG9O9VMV
— 💜 (@thefutxre) July 17, 2025
Despite missing the All-Star Game, Sabally confirmed that she would attend the WNBA’s CBA meetings on Thursday in her capacity as a players’ union representative. The league’s players are seeking a new Collective Bargaining Agreement to give them a fairer share of the W’s earnings.
Sabally is having one of the best years of her career. She is averaging a career-high 19.1 points per game, 7.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals. However, she has been out of action since the Phoenix Mercury lost to the Dallas Wings 98-89 on July 3.