The New York Liberty announced Thursday that Satou Sabally will be sidelined for the remainder of the season. The three-time All-Star has not played since June 23, when she suffered a concussion against the Las Vegas Aces, and is still dealing with the effects of the injury. Sabally also suffered a concussion during the 2025 WNBA Finals when she played for the Phoenix Mercury.
Sabally has been away from the Liberty since mid-August and has not yet made a public statement regarding the decision. However, she did share an update on Instagram on Aug. 19 regarding her forthcoming absence from the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup in Germany.
"Right now I have to listen to my body, put my health first and prioritize my full recovery," Sabally said.
The Liberty had previously expressed hope that their key free agent signing would be able to return to the court this season. "We're really looking forward to getting her back and she will be back," coach Chris DeMarco said on Aug. 13. "She's gonna play at an elite level again. But in terms of just the broad scope of players, we have to deal with that journey."
Now, they'll have to play the final week of the regular season and the playoffs without one of their best players. Sabally, who also dealt with a cyst in her knee early in the season, was limited to 13 games in her first season with the Liberty after signing a two-year, $1.6 million deal in the offseason.
Sabally's concussion issues date back to 2025 Finals
Sabally has struggled to stay on the court since she entered the league as the No. 2 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft. In seven seasons with the Dallas Wings, Phoenix Mercury and Liberty, she's appeared in 149 of a possible 258 regular-season games and has played more than 17 games just twice.
Along the way, she has dealt with Achilles, knee, ankle and shoulder issues. Her recent concussion problems are particularly concerning.
In Game 3 of the 2025 Finals, Sabally took an awkward fall and hit her head on Kierstan Bell's leg. She remained on the ground for a lengthy period before she was helped off the court in what appeared to be serious distress. Sabally was diagnosed with a concussion and did not play in the remainder of the Finals as the Las Vegas Aces swept the Mercury. Later, she was ruled out for the entire Unrivaled season due to lingering symptoms.
Sabally later told CBS Sports that the initial aftermath of that concussion was "not great." The extent to which that experience influenced her decision to leave the Mercury and sign with the Liberty in free agency is unclear, but there have been questions raised over how her treatment was handled, particularly in the moment.
While she was eventually cleared for the 2026 season, she didn't make her debut with the Liberty until May 21 due to a cyst in her knee. A month later, in a game against the Aces, Sabally took an elbow to the head from NaLyssa Smith. She checked out of the game immediately after the incident, and her attempt to return in the second quarter was short-lived.
After the game, she was placed in the concussion protocol for the second time in less than a year and has not played since. In 13 games with the Liberty, Sabally has averaged 10.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists, and shot 38.5% from 3-point range in just 16.8 minutes.
Sabally's absence a factor in Liberty's disappointing campaign
The Liberty stunned the WNBA world this offseason when they were not only able to re-sign their Big Three of Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu, but convince Sabally to take a discount to move to the Big Apple. They were declared the winners of free agency and installed as the preseason title favorites.
Though they got off to a 3-1 start, nothing has gone to plan since. At the World Cup break, they sit in sixth place at 24-16 and have the sixth-best title odds (+1300, per FanDuel). They're sixth in offensive rating (111.1), seventh in defensive rating (107.3) and seventh in net rating (plus-3.7).
Sabrina Ionescu and Leonie Fiebich have also missed extensive time, but Sabally's absence has arguably been the biggest factor in the Liberty's lackluster season. In theory, her versatility and athleticism were supposed to give the Liberty an edge they desperately needed on both ends of the floor.
Without Sabally, the Liberty have too often lacked an extra gear that's evident in true title contenders. Notably, they're 1-4 against the Minnesota Lynx and Golden State Valkyries, who have been the two best teams in the league this season. Against the other seven playoff teams, they're 9-10 -- including a 40-point win against the Las Vegas Aces' B team -- compared to 15-6 against lottery opponents.
If Sabally had been able to return, and the Liberty were able to enter the playoffs with a fully healthy roster, they would have still had a chance to make some noise -- especially with the short series in the first round and semifinals. Now that Sabally has been ruled out for the season, the Liberty's title hopes have likely gone with her.
