Satou Sabally’s return to the court remains surrounded by uncertainty. Now, two weeks after the forward stepped away from the New York Liberty indefinitely, head coach Chris DeMarco offered an encouraging update about how she’s handling the most difficult part of her season.
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Before the Liberty’s game against the Chicago Sky, reporters asked DeMarco for an update on Sabally’s injury, but the coach instead offered a more telling update on her mental health. The response was posted to X by @UnderdogWNBA.
“Don’t have an update there,” he said of the injury, before adding, “I think she’s doing well mentally.”
Satou Sabally hasn’t played for the team since June 23. She was placed on concussion protocol after NaLyssa Smith’s elbow collided with Sabally’s face during a game against the Las Vegas Aces on June 23. Sabally only played eight minutes during that game before retiring. Notably, this was the second concussion she suffered in the last eight months, having collided with Kierstan Bell back in October last year when she played for the Phoenix Mercury against the Aces in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.
Sabally cleared the WNBA’s concussion protocol following the injury, but kept dealing with lingering symptoms, causing her to be unable to play.
Then, two weeks ago on August 14, The Athletic‘s Annie Costabile reported that Satou Sabally had decided to step away from the team indefinitely. Just two days prior, her designation had been changed from concussion protocol to ‘head’ instead. DeMarco had told reporters of this decision before their game against the Los Angeles Sparks and spoke about the decision as well.
“This is under the guidance of our performance team. Just for now, she’s taking some time away and making sure she’s healthy,” he said.
He then spoke on her absence, saying, “She’s done a good job managing it. She’s got the right people around her. We’re really looking forward to getting her back, and she will be back, and she’s going to play at an elite level again.”
The injury has also forced Satou Sabally to step away from the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin with Germany, instead choosing to prioritize her recovery.
The three-time All-Star has only played 13 games this season for the Liberty before her health took priority. But her impact during those games cannot be understated. She averaged 10.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists, shooting a respectable 45.9% from inside the arc. Sabally joined the Liberty this offseason, leaving the championship runner-up Phoenix Mercury.
DeMarco has stressed that there’s no need to rush her back, and he has optimism that the forward will eventually return and contribute at an elite level. That optimism is required for a Liberty team that has rarely been healthy this season.
The team has faced multiple injuries throughout the roster, which has resulted in major disruption of both rotations and chemistry. It’s been difficult to establish consistency for the Liberty, especially since the team has had to deploy several different starting lineups. This has caused the lack of a stable group of starters who can hold the game consistently and are comfortable with each other’s playstyle.
With Sabally out of action as well, players on the team have noted that instability as well. Sabrina Ionescu revealed that the repeated absences have been only one part of what has made this season tougher than previous ones.
“Definitely harder than years in the past, for sure, because we didn’t have a new system, new coach, so much newness and some key new pieces (like we do now),” Ionescu told Costabile. “Satou is a huge piece for us … trying to build chemistry when people come out and in is hard.”
There is still no timeline for a potential return for Satou Sabally. The hope is that by the time the FIBA World Cup concludes in three weeks, there will be some news, if not an actual appearance, on Sabally’s behalf. Until then, it’s unlikely that New York will be able to make a deep postseason run.