2025 WNBA Finals: Mercury forward Satou Sabally leaves Game 3 with head injury

Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally left Game 3 of the WNBA Finals early after hitting her head in the middle of the fourth quarter. There are no official details on her injury yet, but she needed help to go to the locker room and the broadcast said she was being evaluated for a concussion.

The Mercury fought hard after her injury, but ultimately fell 90-88 and are now 0-3 in the best-of-seven series.

The incident happened when Sabally attempted a layup with 4:26 remaining in the game and got tangled up with Jackie Young. As she fell to the ground, she rammed her head into the legs of the Aces' Kierstan Bell and stayed down for a while. Her teammates surrounded her as she was attended to by medical staff. Sabally tried to stand multiple times before leaving the court with assistance.

At the time of her exit, Sabally had 24 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Due to rules for concussion protocol, Sabally wasn't required to shoot the free throws and another Mercury player was allowed to take her place. Coach Nate Tibbetts chose Kahleah Copper, who made both attempts.

Copper scored just six points in the third quarter but she took over in the fourth with 11 points in those 10 minutes. The Mercury was down by as many as 17 points in the third quarter, but Copper was the spark that helped her team be only down one point with two minutes remaining.

The Aces were trying to pull away again, but a 3-pointer by DeWanna Bonner tied the game at 86-86 with 1:41 remaining. The teams went back and forth but a last-second shot by four-time MVP A'ja Wilson gave the Aces advantage. Bonner had one more look at the end of the game, but her jumper did not go in and Las Vegas walked away with the win.

Bonner finished the night with 25 points off the bench, while Alyssa Thomas gave Phoenix 14 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Wilson and Young led the way for Las Vegas with a combined 55 points.

Phoenix is now on the brink of getting swept. Sabally has been the team's leading scorer and not having her for Game 4 would make things tougher for the Mercury.

Game 4 will take place in Phoenix on Friday at 8 p.m. ET.