The New York Liberty’s 2022 attack comes with a side of quack.
With the fifth overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, the Liberty chose Oregon forward Nyara Sabally (pronounced Knee-ARE-uh SAH-buh-lee). The Berlin, Germany native is coming off a lauded redshirt junior season with the Ducks, earning All-Pac-12 honors for the second consecutive season through 15.4-point and 7.8-rebounding averages, which were good for sixth and third respectively in the conference.
“It’s amazing to get drafted by New York. This city is amazing, the organization is amazing. It’s just very surreal, and I’m super excited,” Sabally said of her New York arrival. “I want to learn. I want to grow, and I want to enjoy every moment and take everything in because you’re only a rookie once, so I just want to enjoy everything and have fun mostly.”
“Nyara is obviously a post player with huge potential to compliment the great team that we have,” Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello added in a team statement. “Her skillset is something that we feel will only add to the pieces that we have here in New York.”
Sabally averaged 14.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in two seasons in Eugene, both of which ended in the NCAA Tournament. She notably shot 61 percent from the field and averaged seven rebounds over a three-game run to the Sweet 16 in 2021, which featured a 15-point, nine-board tally in the sixth-seeded Ducks’ second-round upset win over No. 3 Georgia. The Oregon alumna’s physical play in the paint should help quell the Liberty’s problems in the post: New York’s 33.3 rebounds per game was tied for the second-worst in the Association with Washington last season. The Liberty were also last in both second-chance points (8.1 per game) and points allowed in the paint (38.4).
Sabally’s arrival is part of a continuing renovation project, which also welcomed in Stefanie Dolson of the defending champion Chicago Sky while the team is also expected to welcome back three-time WNBA champion Natasha Howard, the 2019’s Defensive Player of the Year whose debut metropolitan season was marred by injury.
Sabally welcomed the challenge as the Liberty hope to make a greater leap on the national WNBA stage. Though they finished 12-20, New York ended a franchise-worst three-year playoff drought last season, a postseason visit partly initiated by the efforts of 2021 draftees Michaela Onyenwere and DiDi Richards. Each was named to the league’s All-Rookie team while Onyenwere won the Rookie of the Year Award.
“I think (my versatility) is one of my biggest strengths, just offensively and defensively, just bringing the energy on defense and bringing the energy on offense and just scoring in the paint, defending the bigs and just bringing a little height,” Sabally said when asked where she can contribute immediately. “I want to use my strength inside and the power I bring…help wherever I can, get those boards, defending.”
Sabally’s New York arrival will reunite her with fellow accomplished Duck Sabrina Ionescu, the top pick of the 2020 edition, which also saw her sister Satou chosen second overall by the Dallas Wings.
The younger Sabally, however, never took to the hardwood with either her sister or Ionescu, as the early portions of her Oregon career were erased by aftershocks of a knee injury suffered while representing Germany in the 2018 FIBA U18 Div. A European Championships. Sabally’s return to the court made her one of the most intriguing comeback stories of the draft.
“This moment, it was just amazing,” Sabally said, recalling the second she received the call from the Liberty, which interrupted a Zoom call with Satou. “I can barely put it into words, just that feeling of getting my name called, all the hard work in the training room was worth it, all the endless tears after injuries. But I’m just happy that the work that I put in finally got rewarded.”
Emotion transformed into excitement as Sabally talked about her anticipation of training under fellow paint prescience Dolson (who “seems like a sweetheart”) and to finally collaborate with Ionescu in a game setting.
“Sab is such an amazing point guard, such an amazing person. I saw her in practice every day, I saw her working every day on the court,” Sabally said. “I’m just very excited to finally share the court with her and not just in practice.”
It didn’t take long for Ionescu, set to enter her second full WNBA season, to announce her approval of Sabally’s arrival, as her Instagram story featured images from their shared service as Ducks shortly after the fifth overall selection was announced by WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
Prior to the Sabally selection, Ryne Howard of Kentucky went to the Atlanta Dream with the top overall pick while the Indiana Fever’s second and fourth picks (NaLyssa Smith of Baylor and New York City native Emily Engstler from Louisville respectively) sandwiched the arrival of Ole Miss’ Shakira Austin at No. 3 to Washington.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
Main Image: Nyara Sabally | Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
