Even in the darkest of times, the stars keep shining for Nyara Sabally. The New York Liberty star has been going through a rough patch with knee injuries since last season. Subsequently, the tensions around the WNBA’s CBA negotiation just added more weight to it. But a recent announcement featuring her might change the narrative.

On Tuesday, the 2024 WNBA champion put pen to paper with ADIDAS, becoming a part of an exclusive WNBA group to sign with the German brand. ADIDAS Basketball took to its X handle to share this update. In a couple of pictures, the sports apparel giant showcased Sabally in a three-stripes jersey, holding a three-stripes basketball.

“Welcome to the adidas family @NyaraSabally ❤️,” the caption of the post read.

In the 2025 WNBA season, too, Sabally was seen donning ADIDAS shoes, including the Dame X, DON Issue 6, and the AE1 Low Year of the Snake, after transitioning from NIKE’s Sabrina 1 and 2. The financial endeavors of the deal aren’t made public. But signing for the three stripes is already a career feat for Sabally. And why not? Signing with a giant like ADIDAS is bound to expand her off-court portfolio.

She will join a roster that includes Chelsea Gray, Aliya Boston, and Satou Sabally. Her elder sister, Satou, joined ADIDAS last season after spending nearly 5 years with the Jordan brand. These signings also align with the brand’s recent partnership with the German Basketball Federation. The deal extensively features Franz and Mo Wagner, along with the Sabally sisters.

Such a mammoth deal amid a dull period for the WNBA quietly signifies that the players still enjoy the confidence of these prominent global brands. And they don’t hesitate to dig deep into their pockets to bring such talents to the table.

Yet despite that, the CBA negotiations standoff still stands like a thorn in the side. Finding a new team like the free agents isn’t Sabally’s concern. The New York Liberty has activated the fourth year of her rookie contract, running through the 2026 season. But for a player like Sabally, who has enough experience in the circuit, a rookie salary seems to be unjustified. But a new CBA that could have given her the pay raise is a distant possibility.

The two parties (WNBA and WNBPA) met in Manhattan on Tuesday, with several major stakeholders, including Cathy Engelbert, in attendance. But as of now, there’s no update towards optimism in this regard. The contrasting point in the argument is, yet again, the revenue-sharing. As per the latest provisions, the union is demanding around 40%, which was later reduced to 26% of gross revenue. On the other hand, the league is reluctant to offer 70% of net revenue, which is roughly 15% of gross revenue.

Until a middle ground on revenue sharing is found, a final deal will most likely remain off the table, despite the league’s recommendations on providing players with housing. But despite the difficult nature of the negotiation, the WNBA endeavors are the least of her concerns for now.

All Eyes on Nyara Sabally in Germany Opener

After sitting out the entire offseason, Nyara Sabally is set to return to the court as part of Germany’s roster for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifiers. The 2024 WNBA champion is one of the vital players for her team in the competition. Sabally and co. are in the Villeurbanne bracket of the tournament and will open play on Wednesday, March 11, against South Korea.

Philippines, France, Colombia, and Nigeria are some of the other teams that they will face in their upcoming games. As hosts of the FIBA Women’s World Cup, the team has already qualified automatically. Thus, the qualifiers will be a major opportunity for the team to gel. Sabally does have enough national team experience. She has played at the EuroBasket qualifiers and the Olympics. Additionally, the 26-year-old has also won the FIBA U-18 European Championship with Germany’s youth team in 2018.

But in the current spectrum, even a little time on the court would be worth more than gold for Sabally. Nyara Sabally struggled for the majority of the last season due to a right knee issue, thereby also forcing her to miss games in the offseason. Thus, it’s even more crucial for Sabally to get some game time ahead of the WNBA season, which, at this point, seems to be moving toward a delay due to the negotiation standoff, after being originally slated to start in May.

But for now, Germany’s game against Korea is set to tip off in a few hours, and after a prolonged few months, we’ll get to see Sabally hoop on the court. What are your expectations from Sabally for this contest? Do let us know in the comments.