Liberty part ways with Nyara Sabally in WNBA expansion draft

Nyara Sabally Moves On from New York

Nyara Sabally’s journey in New York has officially concluded.

On Friday, the Toronto Tempo picked Sabally with the second overall selection in the expansion draft, marking a significant moment for the team.

This move also brings her back together with Sandy Brondello, who was appointed as the first head coach of Tempo after being let go by the Liberty following the 2025 season.

Sabally, standing at 6 feet 5 inches, was not the only former Liberty player selected in the draft. Tempo also secured the rights to French center Aja Cain, previously drafted 38th overall by Liberty in 2025.

Per the rules of the expansion draft, teams can only protect five players, which is one less than what the Golden State Valkyries had in their expansion draft last year. The protected list has not been disclosed.

General manager Jonathan Kolb expressed that letting Sabally go was a tough decision. “It was very difficult,” he stated.

Kolb added, “From the moment she arrived in 2022, Nyara brought professionalism, humility, and a true team-first mindset. She quickly became a valuable part of our locker room and family. We’re grateful for her contributions and excited to see her expand her role with Toronto.”

Sabally’s impressive performance in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals established her as a key player for the Liberty moving forward. However, just before the Liberty’s third game of the 2025 season, problems resurfaced in her surgically repaired right knee.

This ultimately limited her participation to just 17 games during the season.

Ongoing knee problems have cast uncertainty on her future with the Liberty, where she was drafted fifth overall in 2022.

Sabally suffered two anterior cruciate ligament tears in her right knee, leading to repeat surgeries in 2022, which caused her to miss what would have been her rookie season.

Following a challenging 2025 season filled with injuries, she opted out of playing overseas this offseason to focus on her health.

Over three seasons with the Liberty, Sabally played in 76 games and still has one year left on her rookie contract.

In contrast, Kane has yet to debut in the WNBA, having spent last season with France’s LFB Landerneau Bretagne Basket, where she averaged 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 19 games.