Sato Sabally to Step Away from New York Liberty for Health Reasons

Sato Sabally will not be playing for the New York Liberty for a while as she addresses ongoing concussion symptoms, as confirmed by head coach Chris DeMarco prior to Thursday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Sparks.

“She’ll be away from the team for a bit,” DeMarco mentioned to Liberty reporter Miles Ehrlich. “This marks her second significant head injury within a year… Her health is our top priority. We look forward to having her back, but it’ll take time.”

Sabally, who previously played for the Phoenix Mercury, had a concussion during last year’s WNBA Finals, causing her to miss the entire Unrivaled Basketball season while she recuperated. In the offseason, she agreed to a two-year contract with New York, which is fully guaranteed and worth $1.67 million.

Unfortunately, her first year with the Liberty hasn’t gone as well as she might have envisioned. She’s averaged just 10.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, which are both career lows, and has only played in 13 of the team’s 35 games. Following her second concussion last month, it’s now been officially announced that Sabally will be away from the team indefinitely.

Liberty Facing Several Challenges This Season

Sabally’s health struggles are just one aspect of the challenges the Liberty have encountered this season. The team, which many believed had assembled a super roster—including talents like Brianna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, and Sabally—currently holds a 21-14 record, placing them sixth in the WNBA standings. However, DeMarco’s inaugural season as head coach hasn’t unfolded as anticipated. Ionescu has missed 12 games, and Leoni Fievic has missed 21.

Despite this, the Liberty remain in playoff contention, largely due to strong performances from Brianna Stewart, who averages 21 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Ionescu is improving but has a shooting percentage of just 32.2% this season, while Jones continues to be consistent. However, Sabally’s absence could pose a challenge to the team’s championship aspirations.

On Thursday, New York secured a narrow 85-81 victory against the Sparks, led by Ionescu’s 20 points. Yet, they allowed the Sparks to score 40 points in the fourth quarter, highlighting that they haven’t quite hit their stride this season.

There’s still time and talent for the team to regain momentum. However, Sabally’s indefinite absence adds another hurdle for a Liberty squad that many anticipated would be among the league’s elite this year.