Sabally sisters set to lead German women’s basketball team to first Olympic appearance
PARIS — Satou and Nyara Sabally plan to take advantage of Germany’s first trip to the Olympics in women’s basketball.
The sisters are proud to have the chance to play together and will enjoy every minute of their experience in Paris.
“It means a lot to me, I love sharing the pitch with her,” said Satou Sabally, a 6-foot-3 forward. “We have an unspoken bond that allows us to play together. We saw it in February; we were like kids again as we shared a room on the road.”
The Sabally sisters helped Germany reach the Olympics by beating host nation Brazil in a qualifying tournament in February. Nyara Sabally, 24, said at one point during the tournament she watched and paused to think about the opportunity to play with her sister again.
“It was a lot of fun,” she said. “It’s special and it happens very naturally on the field.”
They didn’t get a chance to play together on the court at the University of Oregon. Nyara Sabally, 6’4″ (1.93m), battled knee injuries during her first two seasons, which were her sister’s last in college.
Satou Sabally, 26, separated her shoulder and was unable to play for the first half of the WNBA season. She was cleared to compete in the Paris Games.
“I’ve had a tough few months lately and I’ve been working every day and every week to get back,” Satou said. “Now I can relax and enjoy the journey.”
The sisters will be hoping their team can take another step forward and qualify for the quarter-finals once the Olympics begin. The Germans will face a tough challenge after landing in a tough group with the United States, who have won the last seven Olympic gold medals, at the top of the pile.
“We’re taking it one game at a time and going with the flow,” Satou Sabally continued. “I know we have to have confidence in our team and we’re here for a reason.”
Before heading to Paris, Germany will face the United States in an exhibition match in London on Tuesday night. That will be an opportunity for Nyara Sabally and Leonie Fiebich to test themselves against some of their New York Liberty teammates who play for Team USA, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu.
“They are enemies. They are already scouting,” Nyara Sabally said with a laugh.
Whether we win or lose in Paris, participating in the Olympic Games is a big step for women’s basketball in Germany.
“I feel like people underestimate how important it is for us as players,” Fiebich said. “We’ve been working toward this for five or six years and also for all these kids at home … they can watch us play in the Olympics and have role models. And I think it’s very important for us.”
Germany is set to host the Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2026, which will be another big moment for the nation.
“It’s great, we’re making history. The whole wave of German basketball is fueled by it,” said Satou Sabally. “It starts with the Olympics and it’s the benchmark that German basketball can build on. I hope that at the World Cup we won’t talk about progress, but about medals.”
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