WNBA: Satou Sabally stays a rising famous person

Editor’s Observe: That is one in every of a sequence of tales rating the highest 30 gamers within the WNBA as a part of Quickbooks’ “WNBA Hoopers Hierarchy.” Try the remainder of the rankings right here.

At 6-foot-4 and 175 kilos, Satou Sabally is a novel athlete as a result of she is constructed like a frontcourt participant however strikes like a guard. This makes her such a particular weapon offensively, and it has her a No. 8 within the WNBA Hoopers Hierarchy, Swish Attraction’s rating of the highest 30 gamers within the league in 2024.

Sabally’s increasing offensive repertoire

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One factor that stands out when watching Sabally is how a lot she pushes the break. She was tied for twelfth in complete transition makes an attempt final season and was close to the highest of the league in effectivity on transition pictures.

Sabally is advanced to judge as a result of her impression within the halfcourt is extensively completely different than that within the open courtroom. She is without doubt one of the premier rebounders within the league and he or she’s an amazing ball handler, which suggests she will be able to play with tempo. Her outdoors shot might be the largest enchancment to her sport. She’s a really respectable outdoors shooter now and he or she has nice mechanics on her shot that counsel she’ll take one other taking pictures leap.

Sabally’s a assured driver, however she struggles at occasions scoring amongst size. She generally counters this by carving out house along with her hips for high-percentage seems to be close to the ring, though she doesn’t have fast vertical leaping capability. Although she’s 6-foot-4, she solely shoots simply barely above league common on the rim.

Sabally has a reasonably good free throw price, which is encouraging as a result of she’s a superb free throw shooter. If she will be able to enhance her rim ending numbers, she will be able to leap up one other tier amongst the WNBA’s greatest.

Sabally’s underrated, elite passing chops

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Sabally’s passing positively is probably the most under-discussed facet of her sport. Based mostly on my analysis, Sabally is definitely the most effective entry passer in the whole league. Dallas’ frontcourt is the tallest within the league with Teaira McCowan and Natasha Howard. Groups usually entrance them within the publish to disclaim entry passes, but Sabally nonetheless will discover a method to discover them inside, even with assist defenders able to rotate over. I’ve highlighted just a few of those passes as a result of they’re completely insane and require elite-level contact.

Manipulation might be the one trait that separates the great passers from the good passers. Sabally throws no-look passes not only for flash, but in addition out of necessity. In a sport in opposition to the Connecticut Solar final season, Natisha Hiedeman has slid all the way in which over, able to double McCowan within the paint, so Sabally seems to be at McCowan as if she’s going to throw it to her, solely to fireside a no-look move to Crystal Dangerfield, who’s left open within the nook.

In pick-and-roll actions, Sabally is wonderful at passing out of double groups, which is what I feel separates her creation from that of her All-Star teammate, Arike Ogunbowale. Sabally’s taking pictures capability instructions severe defensive consideration and her top permits her to see over the protection to make the appropriate play. Discover how snug she is below the strain of a double crew. This additionally displays how assured she is as a ball handler; she isn’t fazed by the aggressive defensive strain.

Sabally’s defensive strengths, shortcomings

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Defensively, Sabally is a reasonably sound publish defender and display screen navigator. Most frontcourt gamers of her dimension battle navigating screens on the perimeter, however Sabally makes it look straightforward. She makes use of her lengthy arms to explode dribble handoffs. Her dimension additionally means she will be able to defend most positions with out calling for a peel change or a double crew.

Nevertheless, her assist protection is inconsistent, and on condition that she is 6-foot-4, she offers away a ton of impression by not persistently figuring out threats away from the ball and rotating over to guard the rim when Howard or McCowan are away from the basket defending a choose and roll. She additionally makes a fair proportion of questionable selections, like closing out to the fallacious defender.

How Sabally can proceed her rise into stardom

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Sabally ranks close to the highest of the league in most cumulative superior stats. Final season she was tenth in BBall-Index’s LEBRON, eighth in win shares and fifteenth in win shares per 40 minutes. I feel these stats supply an analysis of Sabally that’s each optimistic and pessimistic. Sabally is close to the highest of the league in minutes performed, like her teammate Ogunbowale, so cumulative stats will take a look at her a bit extra favorably than per possession impression metrics.

There may be completely cause to imagine that, in a bigger pattern, Sabally may make a stronger case to be greater on this listing, however, largely on account of accidents, there isn’t sufficient of a pattern to present her the good thing about the doubt at this level in her profession. Accidents have hampered her profession up to now. She was an All-Star in 2021 and 2023, however she wasn’t wholesome in 2022 and can miss the primary half of this season recovering from a shoulder damage. She is predicted to play for Germany within the 2024 Olympics and make her 2024 debut for Dallas in August.

The Wings have boasted probably the most dominant, greatest rebounding frontcourt within the league. However with out Sabally for prolonged time, we’ll get a very good understanding of how priceless she is to this roster. Hopefully when she returns, she is going to re-establish herself as the most effective gamers within the league.