December 18, 2024 

Nyara Sabally takes pride in her perseverance during hospital visit

Sabally talks about her offseason and the possibility of recruiting her sister Satou to come play in New York

NEW YORK — Nyara Sabally heard the song “A Whole New World,” the classic from Disney’s Aladdin play while in the playroom of the Hospital for Special Surgery’s (HSS) Lerner Children’s Pavilion. She mused: “It’s like my soundtrack calling me.” 

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But being in HSS wasn’t a whole new world for Sabally. The hospital bed, the blue and green curtains and a side table with a bunch of different beverages and a banana were all a familiar sight for the Liberty center. She remembered the scene quite well.

Around two years and seven months ago on an early May spring day, Sabally too was at HSS recovering from her second ACL surgery in two years. But on Wednesday, she was back to spread joy to young people who were dealing with physical and mental hurdles that come with an injury. 

“I know how it is after surgery, you’re kind of feeling a little down,” she told reporters at HSS about why she wanted to visit the hospital. “Just giving them a little joy. Especially around this time, being in the hospital isn’t that much fun. A little something, just to put a smile on somebody’s face just goes a long way.”


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Sabally, who has been in New York for the holiday season, has been engaged in a plethora of community-based events designed to give back to the community that embraced her and her team during the Liberty’s fall championship run. 

A bunch of the events have been team-sponsored during the Liberty’s “Season of Giving” community giveback campaign, which included a basketball clinic with over 300 children on Sunday and then Wednesday’s hospital visit. Separate from the Liberty, she’ll host a clinic of her own at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, N.J. on Sunday.

Nyara Sabally stands in front of a sign that says Young Athlete Center
New York Liberty center Nyara Sabally visits children at HSS during the Liberty’s Season of Giving campaign on December 18, 2024 (Photo Credit: Brandon Todd | New York Liberty)

On Wednesday, Sabally didn’t just spread joy. She gave each child she visited a Liberty draw string bag, a seafoam rubber bracelet and an autographed postcard. She also came to HSS with wisdom and inspiration. 

How did she deal with not being able to play the sport that she loves for months upon months? She answered that. And how did she go from two straight injuries to becoming a WNBA champion? She answered that too. 

The first visit she made was to a young girl who had spinal surgery. She was resting in her bed and hanging out with a loved one while she and Sabally talked about the different sports that they enjoy. The girl mentioned playing volleyball and pole vaulting. Sabally mentioned that she dabbled a bit in gymnastics before focusing on basketball. 

Once pictures were taken, Sabally made her next stop which lasted over 10 minutes. She connected with a young girl who was from Prague. Prior to the 2024 WNBA season, Sabally played in Prague for EuroLeague team USK Praha. 

Immediately, Sabally and the girl made a connection. It was a moment that one of the nurses at the hospital wished more people got to experience. Not all of the children signed media consent forms, so reporters weren’t always allowed in their hospital rooms while Sabally made the visits. 

“There was one girl, we bonded because she’s from Prague, and I played in Prague, and we just talked about the coffee spots,” Sabally explained. “So that was really nice. We knew the same coffee spot.” 

After a couple more closed visits, Sabally visited a college softball player recovering from surgery for a hip injury that cost her her sophomore season. While the girl didn’t have much basketball experience beyond gym class, she and Sabally were still able to connect. 

“I can’t wait to get back on the field,” the girl told Sabally. 

Nyara Sabally visits with a young person who plays college softball
New York Liberty center Nyara Sabally visits a college softball player at HSS during the Liberty’s Season of Giving campaign on December 18, 2024 (Photo Credit: Brandon Todd | New York Liberty)

That was a feeling that Sabally had known all too well. Her words of wisdom for the Farmingdale State junior were 1) that it gets better and 2) going through a situation like this builds a strength that she wouldn’t have had. 

“I feel like that’s one of the strongest characteristics that I have is just perseverance,” Sabally said.  “Because I’ve had so many injuries, and there was always something. So just being able to give these kids some tips means a lot, just because it is really hard, and to look forward and to look past all the injuries. But it really is something I feel like I’ve grown at a lot.” 

She continued: “And I always say, I’m not glad it happened, but it does really shape me into the person I am now. And who knows if I would be sitting here right now if that didn’t happen. I would have gotten drafted to a whole different team.”

Perhaps Sabally wouldn’t have become a champion. And perhaps she wouldn’t have made her debut on German Television. Last month, Sabally and Liberty teammate Leonie Fiebich were featured on Das aktuelle Sportstudio, a weekly sports program on Saturday evenings that airs on German public broadcasting network ZDF. 


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According to Sabally, the show is typically for soccer stars in the country rather than women’s basketball players. She doesn’t watch soccer, but her older brother who does was incredibly impressed and told her that she had to kick the ball into the goal, a tradition for any guest on the show.

“I was like, what goal?” Sabally said. “I didn’t even know I had to … kick a ball. Thankfully [Fiebich] knew what we were doing so she kind of took me under her wing, and I just kind of went with the flow.” 

Going with the flow is what Sabally does. And that’s where she is right now going into the new year. She will most likely play for a team in Turkey overseas to get back into game shape prior to the 2025 WNBA season. She couldn’t say what team she’ll be playing for just because her plans are still up in the air. But she knows that the Turkish season lines up best with the W season, and that’s where she expects she will be. 

But by the time Sabally puts back on a Liberty jersey in 2025, she’ll have to do so without Kayla Thornton, who recently was selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the league’s first expansion draft in 16 years. Sabally was in the air on a flight when the selections were made, and by the time her plane touched down, she saw that Thornton would no longer be her teammate. Sabally, like many other Liberty players, expressed sadness to not only lose a teammate but also a friend. 

Nyara Sabally dribbles the ball with her sister Satou trailing behind her
Nyara Sabally (8) leads the fast break against the Dallas Wings with her sister Satou Sabally (0) trailing behind on June 11, 2023 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. (Photo Credit: Brandon Todd | New York Liberty)

“[Thornton] has a special place in my heart, so it was still very rough,” Sabally said. “I would have picked her too. She’s a great person to pick to start a new team. Just her energy, she’s a great vet to have. I had her for two years, and now it’s time for some other people to enjoy her and to enjoy her presence.” 

The Liberty made it quite clear during their ceremony at City Hall that they will be going for back-to-back championships, something their West Coast rivals the Las Vegas Aces accomplished in 2022 and 2023. But without Thornton, a critical piece on and off the court, how will the Liberty move forward and address her loss? 

Sabally explained that the solution will lie in the Liberty front office’s ability to find pieces that complement one another. She believes that general manager Jonathan Kolb and his staff are exceptional at doing just that. “I’m not worried,” Sabally said. “They probably already have a plan.”

But does Sabally have a plan as well? Her sister Satou will be a free agent this January and has indicated she will be taking pitch meetings from new teams. Will younger sister Nyara be involved in pitching Satou? 

Her immediate response to the question was “probably.” But the younger Sabally stressed that there’s a lot for Satou to figure out, and ultimately it’s her decision as to where she goes. Nyara said she will support Satou regardless of the team she decides to join. But the sisters’ mother, however, would answer that question differently. She prefers when her daughters play together rather than against one another.

Written by Jackie Powell

Jackie Powell covers the New York Liberty and runs social media and engagement strategy for The Next. She also has covered women's basketball for Bleacher Report and her work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Harper's Bazaar and SLAM. She also self identifies as a Lady Gaga stan, is a connoisseur of pop music and is a mental health advocate.

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