Sabally and Ionescu Return to Liberty Practice
Sato Sabally and Sabrina Ionescu participated fully in practice on Monday after missing the first four games of the Liberty’s season.
Sabally had been out due to a cyst, while Ionescu was recovering from a left foot injury sustained in the final preseason game.
Both players felt that their return was a positive step.
“It was great,” Sabally mentioned, adding, “I feel like the wind is finally coming back and I’m happy to finally be on the court.”
As for whether they’d play in the upcoming game against the Golden State Valkyries, the situation remains uncertain.
“Every time the training staff says, ‘Okay, you can go now,'” Sabally said, “I always want to give it 100 percent, so whenever they give me the green light, I’m going to go there.”
Coach Ionescu indicated she might make a call during the game itself, saying, “I can’t make that decision yet. I’m just kind of looking at myself every day to see how I’m improving, how I’m feeling, how I’m reacting to what I did the day before.”
Sabally didn’t elaborate much on her experiences over the past couple of weeks.
She sat out two preseason games for rehab due to lingering concussion symptoms from last year’s WNBA Finals, which also kept her from the offseason training.
Although she missed all Unrivaled games, she was back in basketball activities by March.
Before the Liberty’s season opener on May 8, it was confirmed that Sabally would be sitting out due to a cyst; Coach Chris DeMarco later described it as a routine matter.
Sabally didn’t travel with the team on a three-game road trip, including stops in Washington, D.C., and Portland. She expressed a desire to experience the ambiance at Portland’s Moda Center but found being away from the team to be “a nuisance.” Instead, she focused on recovery back in New York.
Sabally acknowledged Portland for achieving their first win at the Liberty’s expense but seemed pleased overall with her team’s 3-1 start.
“That second game against Portland showed our resilience and adjustments; it was more like how the game should have looked in the first game,” she reflected.
During the offseason, the Liberty’s main goals included re-signing Ionescu, Brianna Stewart, and Jonquel Jones. However, Sabally was their most significant free agent signing from outside the organization.
As a three-time All-Star, she had impressive averages last season: 16.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 steals over 39 regular-season games.
Her size and versatility align well with the Liberty’s new system. Right now, she’s concentrating on her conditioning to ensure she’s ready to compete.
“For me, it’s about repeating my usual exercises but doing them without reaching fatigue and tackling that fatigue afterward,” she explained. “As an athlete, you’re always pushed to be better than you are, so it’s about being kind to yourself and getting back into it.”
