Former New York Knick Charlie Ward will serve as the next head coach for the Florida A&M men’s basketball team! Florida is no stranger to Ward. He was a star basketball and football player at Florida State, where he won the 1993 Heisman Trophy. Ward elected to play professional basketball and was drafted by the Knicks in the first round of 1994 NBA Draft. He played nine seasons in New York before retiring in 2005 after short spells with the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets.

Satou Sabally began to closely watch former Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi while she was in college. Nearly five years after graduating from the University of Oregon, the 26-year-old gets to practice on the court named after the Mercury legend.  

In late January, the 6-foot-4 small forward was traded from the Dallas Wings to the Mercury as part of a four-team deal. Sabally participated in her first media day as a member of the Mercury on Thursday at the Mountain America Performance Center in Phoenix. 

Sabally is excited to build on the legacy of Taurasi and former Mercury cornerstones Brittney Griner and DeWanna Bonner.

 "Being able to build on the legacy is a huge honor for me. It's a huge honor to me when I get to say,' I'm a Mercury now.'" Sabally said. "I was looking at a video, and I was like, 'Ok, Diana Taurasi's court. How legendary is it that I get to practice here?' Growing up watching women's basketball, I don't take this lightly at all."

 Taurasi, whom Sabally called a role model, played for the Mercury from 2004 to 2024, helping lead the franchise to its three championships (2007, 2009, 2014). Bonner and Griner were integral parts of two of those championships.

 Bonner was drafted by Phoenix in 2009, and as a rookie, she earned the WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year Award. She was traded to the Connecticut Sun in 2020 and signed a one-year deal with the Indiana Fever in February. Griner spent 11 years in Phoenix before signing with the Atlanta Dream this offseason.    

"Getting to spend time with BG (Griner) and knowing how many years she has spent here and I don't want to let people down because that's the pride that comes as a black woman to carry on the legacy of someone like her," Sabally said.  

Once Sabally realized Bonner played in Phoenix for 10 years, she said,' I want to be like her.' The two-time WNBA All-Star said she has always been inspired by Bonner's "long player style." Sabally hopes to follow Griner, Bonner and Taurasi and deliver a championship to the Valley.  

"Sometimes I'm still really struck by saying I play for the Phoenix Mercury now," Sabally said.

Word from the Youth

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