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Nyara Sabally

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Nyara Sabally
Image
Sabally with the New York Liberty in 2024
No. 8 – Toronto Tempo
PositionForward
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (2000-02-26) 26 February 2000 (age 26)
Bandon, Oregon[1]
Listed height
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight
214 lb (97 kg)
Career information
CollegeOregon (2018–2022)
2022: 1st round, 5th overall pick
Drafted byNew York Liberty
Playing career
2023–present
Coaching career
2022–present
Career history
Playing
2023–2025New York Liberty
2023–2024USK Prague
2024–2025Fenerbahçe
2026–presentToronto Tempo
Coaching
2022–2023Sacramento State (assistant)
Career highlights
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing Image Germany
FIBA U-18 European Championship
Gold medal – first place2018 ItalyTeam

Nyara Sabally (born 26 February 2000) is a German professional basketball player for the Toronto Tempo of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She also served as an assistant coach for Sacramento State. She played college basketball at Oregon. She represented Germany at the 2018 FIBA U18 Women's European Championship and won a gold medal. She also represented Germany at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

College career

[edit]

On 7 November 2017, Sabally signed with Oregon.[2] During the 2018–19 season in her freshman year, she sat out the season after suffering a torn ACL during the championship game of the 2018 FIBA U18 Women's European Championship in August 2018.[3] During the 2019–20 season in her redshirt freshman year, she re-tore her ACL in the summer of 2019 and missed a second consecutive season.[4]

During the 2020–21 season in her redshirt sophomore year, she played in 23 of Oregon's 24 games, making 21 starts. She led Oregon in scoring (12.9), rebounding (7.3), field goals (122), double-doubles (4) and double-figure scoring games (19). She ranked third in the Pac-12 in field-goal percentage (54.7), third in offensive rebounding (2.7), fourth in rebounding and tenth in scoring.[3] Following the season she was named to the All-Pac-12 team.[5]

During the 2021–22 season in her redshirt junior year, she led the team in scoring and rebounding and finished sixth in the conference in scoring (15.4) and third in rebounding (7.8). She recorded eight double-doubles, and reached double figures in scoring in 19 of the 24 games. She became the first Pac-12 player since Chiney Ogwumike in 2013 to average at least 15 points, seven rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals and blocks over the course of a season.[3] Following the season she was again named to the All-Pac-12 team.[6]

On 28 March 2022, Sabally declared for the 2022 WNBA draft. She finished her career at Oregon with 666 points, 354 rebounds and 87 assists in two seasons.[7]

Professional career

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WNBA

[edit]

New York Liberty (2023–2025)

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On 11 April 2022, Sabally was drafted fifth overall by the New York Liberty in the 2022 WNBA draft.[8] On 15 April 2022, Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb announced Sabally would miss the 2022 WNBA season due to injury, after she aggravated her right knee, which has twice required surgery for a torn ACL.[9] On 28 February 2023, Sabally signed a rookie scale contract with the Liberty.[10] She missed the first half of the 2024 WNBA season recovering from a back injury before the Olympics break, where Sabally joined her Liberty teammate Leonie Fiebich on the German national basketball team.[11] During game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals against the Minnesota Lynx, she scored 13 points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench to help the Liberty win their first WNBA championship in franchise history.[12] During the third quarter she scored seven consecutive points for the Liberty, helping them gain their first lead of the game. During overtime she recorded a steal and a layup to extend the Liberty's lead to five points. She also recorded a defensive rebound with 13 seconds remaining in overtime to help secure the win.[13][14][15] The Liberty's star player Breanna Stewart said in the post game press conference that Sabally was "The X Factor" for contributing to the team's championship win.[16]

On 12 May 2025, the Liberty exercised Sabally's fourth-year rookie option, extending her contract through the 2026 season.[17]

Toronto Tempo (2026–present)

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On 3 April 2026, Sabally was drafted fourth overall by the Toronto Tempo in the 2026 WNBA expansion draft.[18][19]

Overseas

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Sabally played with USK Prague of the Czech Women's Basketball League during the 2023–2024 season.[20]

Sabally joined Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Super League in January 2025.[21]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game  FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold  Career best ° League leader
† Denotes season(s) in which Sabally won a WNBA championship

WNBA

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Regular season

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WNBA regular season statistics[22]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2023 New York 3307.9.424.222.7502.1.2.1.2.52.3
2024† New York 26013.5.575.000.7004.0.6.9.7.54.9
2025 New York 171017.9.487.143.6804.5.8.51.0.95.4
2026 Toronto 242023.9.527.392.7205.31.71.0.91.612.3
Career 4 years, 2 teams 1003014.9.515.333.7153.8.8.6.6.95.9

Playoffs

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WNBA playoff statistics
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2023 New York 401.3———.0.3.3.0.0.0
2024† New York 9010.1.542—.8753.4.0.7.71.74.4
2025 New York 107.0.000—.5001.01.01.0.0.01.0
Career 3 years, 1 team 1407.4.481.000.8332.3.1.6.41.12.9

College

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Ratios
Year Team GP GS MP FG% 3P% FT% RBG APG BPG SPG PPG
2019–20 Oregon 10.0——.0.0.0.0.0.0
2020–21 Oregon 232124.5.547.571.6167.31.81.21.012.9
2021–22 Oregon 242026.6.527.534.7257.81.91.41.415.4
Career 484125.0.536.480.6847.41.81.21.313.9
Totals
Year Team GP GS MP FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB A BK ST PTS
2019–20 Oregon 10000000000000
2020–21 Oregon 23215631222238144573167422227297
2021–22 Oregon 242063913926441187120187453334369
Career 484112022614871225132193354876056666

Source[23]

National team career

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Image
Sabally (left) with her Germany national team and New York Liberty teammate Leonie Fiebich in 2024

Sabally made her international debut for Germany at the 2015 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship for Women, where she averaged nine points, 13.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. She represented Germany at the 2018 FIBA U18 Women's European Championship, where she averaged 17.3 points, 12.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, and won a gold medal, and was named tournament MVP.[24]

On 15 July 2024, Sabally was named to Germany women's national basketball team to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics.[25] On 29 July 2024, in Germany's first group stage game against Belgium, she suffered an injury when teammate Leonie Fiebich inadvertently hit her in the chin with her shoulder while passing her on a handoff in the final minute of the third quarter. Prior to her injury, she was tied with Fiebich as the team's second-leading scorer with 16 points, behind only her sister Satou Sabally.[26] Germany defeated Belgium 83–69, its first ever win in Olympic competition.[27]

Coaching career

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On 12 July 2022, Sabally was named an assistant coach for Sacramento State.[28] During her first season, she helped lead the Hornet to a 25–8 record, the Big Sky Conference regular season championship, 2023 Big Sky tournament championship, and their first ever appearance in the 2023 NCAA tournament.[29]

Personal life

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Nyara's older sister Satou, who played for Oregon in both seasons that Nyara missed due to injury, is a professional basketball player for the New York Liberty of the WNBA.[30]She is a Muslim.

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Hawthorne, Jonathan (19 April 2017). "Nyara Sabally, sister of Oregon signee Satou, verbally commits to Ducks program". Daily Emerald. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  2. ↑ Medow, Shawn (7 November 2017). "Nyara Sabally and Taylor Chavez sign with Oregon". Daily Emerald. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 "Nyara Sabally". goducks.com. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  4. ↑ Lim, Brady (31 August 2019). "Oregon women's basketball forward Nyara Sabally out for season with torn ACL". Daily Emerald. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  5. ↑ "Paopao, Sabally Receive All-Pac-12 Honors". goducks.com. 1 March 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  6. ↑ "Trio Of Ducks Named All-Pac-12". goducks.com. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  7. ↑ Ruth, Brady (28 March 2022). "Nyara Sabally declares for WNBA Draft after All-Conference season". Daily Emerald. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  8. ↑ Staley, Antwan (11 April 2022). "New York Liberty selects Oregon's Nyara Sabally in the 2022 WNBA Draft". The Register-Guard. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  9. ↑ Crepea, James (15 April 2022). "Nyara Sabally will miss 2022 WNBA season, to debut for New York Liberty in 2023". The Oregonian. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  10. ↑ "New York Liberty Sign 2022 First Rounder Nyara Sabally". liberty.wnba. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  11. ↑ "Nyara Sabally Faces Instant Test Upon Return to Liberty". SI.com. 15 July 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  12. ↑ Magliocchetti, Geoff (21 October 2024). "Liberty's Nyara Sabally Becomes Finals Unexpected Heroine". SI.com. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  13. ↑ Dalzell, Noa (21 October 2024). "How a Liberty reserve and a halftime adjustment helped secure the WNBA Finals". SBNation.com. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  14. ↑ Creme, Charlie (20 October 2024). "How the Liberty beat the Lynx to win 2024 WNBA championship". ESPN.com. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  15. ↑ "Liberty's Nyara Sabally deserves her flowers for heroic WNBA Finals performance". Yahoo Sports. 21 October 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  16. ↑ Reilly, Bridget (21 October 2024). "Nyara Sabally emerges as unlikely hero in Liberty's championship win". New York Post. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  17. ↑ Magliocchetti, Geoff (12 May 2025). "Liberty Exercising Finals Heroine Nyara Sabally's 4th Year Option". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  18. ↑ Maloney, Jack (3 April 2026). "WNBA expansion draft results: Toronto Tempo, Portland Fire select initial rosters ahead of 2026 season". CBS Sports. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  19. ↑ Kenney, Madeline (3 April 2026). "Liberty lose Nyara Sabally to Tempo in WNBA expansion draft". New York Post. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  20. ↑ Nemchock, Eric (25 October 2023). "Still undefeated, Fenerbahçe takes on Schio; Nyara Sabally joins Magbegor on Praha". Swish Appeal. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  21. ↑ Nyara Sabally Fenerbahçe Opet’te, 20.12.2024
  22. ↑ "Nyara Sabally WNBA Stats". Basketball Reference.
  23. ↑ "Nyara Sabally College Stats". sports-reference.com. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  24. ↑ "Nyara Sabally". fiba.basketball. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  25. ↑ "Sabally Sisters Headed to Paris Games". goducks.com. 15 July 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  26. ↑ Magliocchetti, Geoff (29 July 2024). "Germany Survives Liberty Friendly Fire in Olympic Debut". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  27. ↑ Arnold, Geoffrey C. (31 July 2024). "Paris Olympics: Former Oregon Ducks stars Satou and Nyara Sabally lead Germany to historic win". The Oregonian. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  28. ↑ Crepea, James (12 July 2022). "Former Oregon women's basketball forward Nyara Sabally joins Sacramento State coaching staff". The Oregonian. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  29. ↑ Davidson, Joe (19 March 2023). "'Big stage': Sac State's dream season ends with loss to UCLA in women's NCAA Tournament". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  30. ↑ Hatfield, Jenn (9 November 2021). "'I don't know if we've had one like her': Sabally sisters are both one of a kind at Oregon". thenexthoops.com. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
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