3-time WNBA All-Star Satou Sabally makes major splash signing

Satou Sabally is joining a WNBA powerhouse in free agency.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Alex Philippou and Kenda Andrews, the New York Liberty are signing the former Phoenix Mercury forward and WNBA All-Star to a multi-year deal, Sabally’s agency revealed on Saturday.

“Major WNBA free agency domino: All-Star Satou Sabally has agreed to sign a multiyear deal to join the New York Liberty,” Charania wrote on X.

Interestingly enough, it was Sabally who helped eliminate the Liberty in the first round of the WNBA playoffs last season.

After struggling in Game 1 of the series, Sabally bounced back in a big way, dropping 15 and 23 points in the next two games to lead Phoenix over New York.

Now, she’ll look to help get the Liberty over the hump and back to the WNBA Finals.

After getting past New York and the Minnesota Lynx, Phoenix went on to play in the Finals against the Las Vegas Aces but came up short, losing in a four-game sweep. Sabally was forced to miss Game 4 due to a concussion.

Sabally is the sister of Nyara Sabally, the former Liberty center who was picked by the Toronto Tempo in the WNBA expansion draft.

Satou Sabally’s impressive resume

A former No. 2 overall pick of the Dallas Wings out of Oregon back in 2020, Sabally has met expectations in her career thus far.

A three-time WNBA All-Star, Sabally was also voted to the 2020 All-Rookie Team and was voted All-WNBA and Most Improved Player in 2023 while also finishing fifth in the Most Valuable Player voting.

Sabally has shown she can do a little bit of everything on the floor. Her scoring comes in multiple ways, whether that’s driving to the basket, playing in the low post or shooting jumpers.

She’s also active on the glass and is a strong passer, which will especially come in handy with all the talent surrounding her in New York.

Over the course of his six-year career, Sabally has averaged 15.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and a 41.4% field-goal percentage, including a 33.1% success rate from three.

How Sabally fits with the Liberty

Conclusion

Adding a three-time All-Star like Sabally gives New York an even more loaded roster than it already had.

The Liberty’s star-studded projected starting lineup will include Sabally, Sabrina Ionescu, Leonie Fiebich, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones. That lineup includes multiple former MVPs and All-Stars, and Fiebich is a former All-Rookie Team member.

Safe to say, there are going to be a lot of experts picking the Liberty to get back to the WNBA Finals after missing out last season. New York has been to two of the last three, with the team’s last victory coming in 2024 against the Minnesota Lynx.

We’ll get our first look at Sabally with the Liberty when New York begins its season on Friday, May 8, versus the Connecticut Sun.