Satou Sabally will miss her debut for the New York Liberty due to a cyst. She is one of several players sidelined for the season opener against the Connecticut Sun.
Key points
Satou Sabally ruled out for the season opener
Sidelined due to a cyst
Sabrina Ionescu and Rebecca Allen also injured
Liberty may sign a hardship player
Season opener against Connecticut Sun
Satou SaballySabrina IonescuRebecca AllenNew York Liberty
The three-time All-Star won't be in the lineup on Friday when the New York Liberty tip off the 2026 WNBA season against the Connecticut Sun as she's been sidelined with a cyst, the team announced on Thursday.
Sabally isn't the only Liberty player on the injury list for the season opener. Sabrina Ionescu (left foot) and Rebecca Allen (left leg) are also out due to injury, while Raquel Carrera and Leonie Fiebich are not with the team due to overseas commitments. As a result, the Liberty are expected to sign at least one hardship player ahead of the season opener, according to the New York Post.
2026: Azzi Fudd, Dallas Wings (Connecticut)
2025: Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings (Connecticut)
Q&A
Why is Satou Sabally not playing in the 2026 WNBA season opener?
Satou Sabally is sidelined due to a cyst.
Which other New York Liberty players are injured for the season opener?
Sabrina Ionescu and Rebecca Allen are also injured and will miss the game.
What is the expected impact of Sabally's absence on the New York Liberty?
The Liberty may need to sign a hardship player due to multiple injuries affecting their roster.
When is the New York Liberty's first game of the 2026 WNBA season?
The New York Liberty's first game is scheduled against the Connecticut Sun on Friday.
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2000: Ann Wauters, Cleveland Rockers (USV Olympic, France)
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1998: Margo Dydek, Utah Starzz (Fota Porta Gdynia, Poland)
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Sabally, the versatile 6-foot-4 forward known as "The Unicorn," signed with the Liberty in free agency after one season with the Phoenix Mercury, who reached the 2025 WNBA Finals last season. Sabally averaged 16.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in 39 games for Phoenix, while shooting 40.4% shooting from the field, and upped her scoring to 19 points and 7 rebounds in the postseason.
Sabally signing with the Liberty marks her third team in as many seasons. She reunited with Ionescu, her Oregon teammate, on the Liberty. The two helped lead the Ducks to a Final Four in 2019.
Sabally didn't participate in the Liberty's two preseason games due to reconditioning.
