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 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.
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