Satou Sabally just made a move that, on the surface, doesn’t quite add up. She’s joining the very team she knocked out of the playoffs just a year ago. But for her, this decision has nothing to do with earning more money, fitting into a system, chasing a championship, or any of the usual reasons athletes switch teams.

For Sabally, however, it came down to something simpler. And that’s to get closer to home, family, and friends. Speaking on why she chose to join the New York Liberty, a team she and the Phoenix Mercury defeated in the playoffs last year, she said: “To join my friends. Really, truly join my friends and people, and get closer to home.”

As she explained, Phoenix, where she played last season, was very far from home. And as an international player, the time difference made things even harder, limiting how much she could actually stay connected with family. “I know the time difference, I could only talk to my little brother before practice at 6:00 am. After 2 pm, it’s over.”

Sabally’s family resides in Berlin, Germany, and follows CET, which is nine hours ahead of the Mountain Time observed in Phoenix. A move to New York will bring the time difference to six hours instead of nine.

Satou Sabally’s last season with the Phoenix Mercury was a successful one, with their deep run all the way to the WNBA Finals. They finished with a strong 27-17 record, secured the 3rd seed in the Western Conference and the 4th seed overall, and made it all the way to the Finals, defeating the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx along the way.

And of course, Sabally, who was on just a one-year contract, was the primary engine of Phoenix’s offense last season. She averaged 16.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in the regular season. In the playoffs, she elevated that to 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. She led the Mercury in scoring during both the regular season and their deep playoff run. And she earned her third career WNBA All-Star selection. As she put it, she “really had a great time” in Phoenix and is “super thankful for it.”

However, for her, this is simply “a personal decision just to get closer to her own home.” And as she explains, she truly sees New York as a home. In fact, she has spent a lot of time in New York during the offseason, and in her own words, she “loves New York so much.” That also explains her multi-year deal.

This move now reunites her with former Oregon Ducks teammate Sabrina Ionescu. And interestingly, her younger sister, Nyara Sabally, has already played for the Liberty. With her family based in Germany, moving from the West Coast, where the 8-to-9-hour time difference made communication difficult, to the East Coast in New York significantly reduces that gap. And it allowed for a much easier window to stay connected. As she said, this move is her choice to put her private life first, something she admits she hasn’t done before in her career.

Breaking Down Satou Sabally’s New York Liberty Contract

With the Phoenix Mercury, Satou Sabally earned a base salary of $215,000. Now, with the New York Liberty, her salary has jumped to over $800,000. Specifically, Sabally signed a two-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $1,670,750. She will earn $815,000 this season and $855,750 in 2027.

However, while Sabally got a significant increase in pay, it might technically still be a pay cut on her part. The figures are for sure, a massive personal raise. However, under the new CBA, it was a highly strategic, team-friendly discount. Sabally was widely expected to sign a supermax contract. So she was eligible to earn up to $1.4 million for the 2026 season alone.

Although her new $815,000 salary is a massive personal raise, she accepted significantly less than the $1.19 million supermax contract she was eligible for, effectively leaving money on the table to help the team’s salary cap.

Her willingness to sign below market value allowed the Liberty to keep their championship core intact. This includes Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and now, Sabally herself. As she had already made clear, her decision was driven by her private life. And so that’s why she was willing to leave money on the table just to be closer to home, friends, and family. You can’t really put a price on that.