NEW YORK (AP) — Satou Sabally walked into the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center to a rousing cheer from the dozens of kids who had made signs welcoming the New York Liberty's newest player.
She did drills with the kids for 45 minutes after taking pictures and signing autographs.
“It’s honestly wonderful for me to be able to do my media day here and them to see what actually goes on as a pro,” Sabally said. “Just to be able to run around a little bit with them sweating for my actual workout. I knew a part of me was going to be competitive, so it was good for them to see it.”
Now she's ready to get to work with her new team and hopefully bring the Liberty a second championship in three seasons. A title is all that she feels is missing from her career.
“What I really wanted to do is win a championship," she said. “I think that it's missing on my resume. I know I’m a great player, but I do want that ring and I want to do it alongside people that I trust and alongside people that I want to really compete with in a place that embraces sports culture in a different way.”
The 27-year-old forward helped Phoenix reach the WNBA Finals last season, beating New York in the opening round. She suffered a concussion during Game 3 and missed the last game of the series.
Sabally, who is from Germany, was a free agent last season, too, and the decision came down to coming to New York or going to Phoenix. She chose the Mercury.
“Last year, I felt like out of my own ego I had to beat New York first and then join my friends,” she said. “And get closer to home. Phoenix was very far away from home for me as an international player. Like nine-hour time difference. I could only talk to my little brothers before practice. ... So I think it was a personal decision just to get closer to my own home.”
Sabally is now partnered again with her former Oregon teammate Sabrina Ionescu. The pair had the Ducks as a favorite to win the NCAA championship their senior season before the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the tournament that year.
“I think I still have unfinished business that I would love to win,” she said. “I think it’s just such a long time since Oregon, but that is always something that we still talk about.”
She was also excited to play with Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and German teammate Leonie Fiebich. Stewart, Jones and Ionescu all officially re-signed with the team on Friday.
Sabally was saddened that she wouldn't get a chance to play with her sister Nyara, who was on the Liberty the last few seasons. She was picked up by Toronto in the expansion draft.
“You want to play together, but I think it’s a true honor that she was chosen to be a part of that expansion team and build something new with it,” Sabally said.
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