Satou Sabally Injury: Mercury receive massive update on star forward's health after gut punch in Game 2

The Phoenix Mercury received a significant injury update on Satou Sabally following their Game 2 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday. Concerns arose in the Mercury camp after Sabally appeared to be in visible pain from an ankle injury in the fourth quarter before being withdrawn from the game by coach Nate Tibbetts.

Sabally underwent an evaluation soon after the game and the results eased any concerns. The three-time All-Star appeared for postgame duties, and when asked about her health, she gave a definitive response, affirming, "I'm fine."

There were a couple of moments during the game when Satou Sabally appeared shaken up. The first occurred in the opening minute of the first quarter when Kierstan Bell’s step-back jumper from the right corner caused Sabally to lose her balance. She grimaced in pain while jogging to the other end as Bell’s shake-and-bake move appeared to injure the Mercury star’s ankle.

Sabally suffered a more serious blow in the final quarter when A'ja Wilson seemingly stepped on the former Dallas Wings forward's ankle. Sabally stayed in the game to make her free throws but soon limped to the bench and did not return for the remainder of the contest.

Her night ended after 26:33 minutes of play. The Mercury forward continued her scoring streak, finishing with 22 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Her efficiency, however, was not at an elite level as she shot 7 of 19 from the floor, including 2 of 9 from beyond the arc.

Satou Sabally confident despite Game 2 setback

The Phoenix Mercury face immense pressure as the WNBA Finals shift to their home court. The franchise has very little room for error, sitting two defeats away from seeing its championship hopes vanish. Satou Sabally, however, remains optimistic about her team’s chances of turning the Finals around.

"I still believe in us," Sabally told reporters. "The positive thing is that we have so many games still to play."

Sabally has been in scorching form throughout the ongoing playoffs and her consistent production is one of the primary reasons the Mercury are still competing for a title. Over the last five games, the former Most Improved Player is averaging 21.8 points. Phoenix will need their star forward to keep her foot on the pedal if they hope to mount a comeback in the series.