Nyara Sabally reveals emotional reality of watching sister Satou battle injury from afar
Nyara Sabally reveals emotional reality of watching sister Satou battle injury from afar
Sahil KurupWed, August 5, 2026 at 6:47 AM UTC
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The Sabally sisters' paths diverged through the WNBA this offseason in dramatic fashion -Credit:Getty
Basketball has a way of scattering the Sabally sisters across different jerseys, different cities, different conferences, yet somehow they never seem to lose track of each other.
This season, Toronto Tempo forward Nyara Sabally finds herself once again watching from a distance as her older sister Satou battles through injury, this time in New York.
Satou, who signed a massive multi-year deal with the Liberty in the offseason, has been sidelined since June 25 due to a concussion suffered during a game against the Las Vegas Aces, when she was elbowed in the face by NaLyssa Smith while competing for a rebound.
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She was subbed out shortly after the collision and has remained in the league's concussion protocol ever since, with head coach Chris DeMarco confirming in July there was still no firm timetable for her return.
In 13 games this season, Satou had been averaging 10.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 45.9% from the field before the injury.
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Asked what it's been like watching her sister play for the Liberty, Nyara didn't hide how much she still keeps tabs on her sibling's career.
Nyara Sabally played alongside her older sister Satou as Germany's women's basketball team made its first Olympic appearance -Credit:Photo by Mark TERRILL / POOL / AFP
"It means a lot. It's really cool. She's sadly been out for a little bit, but when she was playing for them, she did great. I think she can really help them, so it's fun to see her in that role," Nyara said in an exclusive interview with Mirror U.S. Sports.
Asked whether she pays closer attention to the Liberty specifically because of Satou, she quickly responded: "Yeah. I always keep an eye on the team my sister is on. Last year it was Phoenix, and this year it's New York."
The setback marked Satou's second concussion in less than a year, having also suffered one during Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Finals while playing for the Phoenix Mercury, an injury that ended her season and forced her to miss the second Unrivaled season while dealing with lingering symptoms.
Nyara Sabally won a championship with the New York Liberty -Credit:Getty
The Sabally sisters' paths diverged this offseason in dramatic fashion. Nyara was selected by the expansion Toronto Tempo in the 2026 WNBA expansion draft just weeks before Satou signed as a free agent with the Liberty, the team Nyara had spent her first three WNBA seasons with and won a championship alongside in 2024.
Satou has spoken about the emotional weight of that timing, noting she and Nyara were essentially "ships in the night" as their careers pulled them in opposite directions within the league.
Despite no longer being teammates, Satou has described her move to New York as a way of continuing the legacy her younger sister helped build there.
"She started it, and I'm just continuing something that my little sister started, and she won a championship, she won a ring for the city," Satou said to The IX Sports. "And I want to follow her, follow her footsteps, so that's truly it, but we were both bummed about it."
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
