Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally is the 2023 WNBA Most Improved Player
Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally is the 2023 WNBA Most Improved Player. The four-year league veteran was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft and received 37 of 60 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Los Angeles Sparks guard Jordin Canada came in second with 18 votes while Chicago Sky forward Alanna Smith garnered third with three votes. Two players received a vote each: Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and Washington Mystics guard Brittney Sykes
This season Sabally averaged career highs of 18.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.8 steals. Her stats last season: 11.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.5 steals. Overall, for the 2023 regular season, she ranked ninth in the league in scoring, 10th in rebounding, 13th in assists, and fourth in steals. Additionally, she improved her overall field goal percentage to a career-best 43.5 percent and her three-point shooting from 23.3 percent last season to 36.1 percent in 2023. The 6-4 forward is a two-time All-Star.
Sabally’s efforts helped Dallas earn the most wins (22) and the highest regular season winning percentage (.550) since 2008 when the team was still known as the Detroit Shock. The Wings secured a No. 4 seed in the WNBA Playoffs and advanced to a semifinal series against the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, Sept. 24 (5 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
An All-America selection out of Oregon, the German native has played for her country’s national team as well. She will receive $5,150 and a trophy designed to commemorate the achievement.
Previous WNBA Most Improved Player Winners
| Season | Player | Team |
| 2000 | Tari Phillips | New York Liberty |
| 2001 | Janeth Arcain | Houston Comets |
| 2002 | Coco Miller | Washington Mystics |
| 2003 | Michelle Snow | Houston Comets |
| 2004 | Kelly Miller | Indiana Fever |
| Wendy Palmer | Connecticut Sun | |
| 2005 | Nicole Powell | Sacramento Monarchs |
| 2006 | Erin Buescher | Sacramento Monarchs |
| 2007 | Janel McCarville | New York Liberty |
| 2008 | Ebony Hoffman | Indiana Fever |
| 2009 | Crystal Langhorne | Washington Mystics |
| 2010 | Leilani Mitchell | New York Liberty |
| 2011 | Kia Vaughn | New York Liberty |
| 2012 | Kristi Toliver | Los Angeles Sparks |
| 2013 | Shavonte Zellous | Indiana Fever |
| 2014 | Skylar Diggins-Smith | Tulsa Shock |
| 2015 | Kelsey Bone | Connecticut Sun |
| 2016 | Elizabeth Williams | Atlanta Dream |
| 2017 | Jonquel Jones | Connecticut Sun |
| 2018 | Natasha Howard | Seattle Storm |
| 2019 | Leilani Mitchell | Phoenix Mercury |
| 2020 | Betnijah Laney | Atlanta Dream |
| 2021 | Brionna Jones | Connecticut Sun |
| 2022 | Jackie Young | Las Vegas Aces |
