The Phoenix Mercury vs. Las Vegas Aces WNBA finals may be one of the topics in both teams’ players’ minds, but one more subject that is constantly popping up is the CBA deal negotiations. The Mercury star, Satou Sabally, already criticized the WNBA offer as a ‘slap on the face’ and now opens up about her ‘number’ for the rookie players.
During her practice session, Sabally spoke to the media, warning the league about potential lockdown rumors. She has also added her preferred rookie salary, which will impact the veteran players’ salaries in CBA negotiations.
Satou Sabally Wants High Rookie Pay
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was confident about the WNBA negotiations with the WNBPA and mentioned that a solution would be in place before October 31. Cathy Engelbert also showed confidence in reaching a middle ground with the players’ association and avoiding a possible lockout, as the players mentioned.
Amid this, the 27-year-old Mercury star might have made their job easier by making direct demands for the rookie pay scale.
“I know the league came, but with like 300 [thousand]. Push it up. Push it up. Go up, especially if you want to extend the season [schedule]. And now we’re talking about extending the season, you need to go up with these numbers because, honestly, that’s what they deserve right now,” Sabally said in the interview during training sessions.
#Mercury Satou Sabally on NBA commissioner Adam Silver saying dialogue in #wnba contract negotiations is becoming “too personal” pic.twitter.com/s1ztAb1gBe
— jeffmetcalfe (@jeffmetcalfe) October 7, 2025
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The current rookie salary is $66,079, and surpassing $300,000 will exceed the supermax contract value for the 2025 season ($254,000). However, the forward put forward her reasons, stating that players who play overseas receive more compensation, and with the WNBA attempting to extend the schedule, players should also receive higher pay.
Interestingly, Sabally was one of the players who complained about the ‘congested’ schedules and back-to-back games. Now, she is ready to play if the pay is more.
Satou Sabally Suffers Injury During Game 3
On the court, the former Oregon player showed her capability with three consecutive 20+ points games against the top defensive Aces team. In Game 3, she was also one of the reasons for the Mercury putting up pressure on the 2023 champions.
But trying to collect a rebound, the star fell on Kierstan Bell’s knees, hitting her head first. The player went down quickly and fell flat on the court. Doctors performed an initial check-up and removed her from the game. She is in the concussion protocol, and her availability for Game 4 is unclear. The former Wings star leads the Mercury in scoring during the postseason, and her absence would hurt the team’s chances of winning against the Aces.