Satou and Nyara Sabally are set to make history as they lead the Germany women’s basketball team to its first Olympic appearance. The Sabally sisters, who have long dreamed of sharing the court on an international stage, are eager to embrace their historic journey in Paris.
“It means everything. I love to share the court with her,” said Satou Sabally, a 6-foot-3 forward, as reported by Doug Feinberg of The Associated Press. “We have an unspoken bond that we can play off each other. We saw it in February; we were like little kids again as we shared a room on the road.”
Their bond was instrumental in Germany’s qualification for the Olympics, as the team rallied to beat host Brazil in a qualifying tournament in February.
“It’s great, we’re making history. The whole German basketball wave is thriving off that,” she said. “It starts off with the Olympics and has that as the standard that German basketball can build off of.”
Nyara Sabally, 24, reflected on the significance of playing alongside her sister.
“That was a lot of fun,” The New York Liberty center said. “It’s special and comes very naturally on the court.”
Sabally sisters making history with Germany in Paris Olympics
The sisters missed the chance to play together during their college years at Oregon due to Nyara’s knee injuries, which kept her sidelined during Satou’s final seasons. However, they have now been given the opportunity to showcase their synergy on the Olympic stage.
Advancing in the tournament came at a cost for Satou Sabally, who separated her shoulder and missed the first half of the WNBA season with the Dallas Wings. Despite the setback, she has been cleared to compete in Paris.
“I had a rough last couple months and worked every day and week to come back,” Satou said. “Now I can sit back and enjoy the ride.”
Germany faces a formidable challenge in their Olympic pool, which includes the U.S. team, winners of the last seven Olympic gold medals. Nevertheless, the Sabally sisters remain optimistic.
“We are taking it game by game and going with the flow,” Satou Sabally said. “I know we have to be confident in our team and we’re there for a reason.”
Before the Olympics, Germany will play an exhibition game against the U.S. in London. The match will give Nyara Sabally and Leonie Fiebich a chance to compete against their Liberty teammates, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu.
Playing in the Olympics is a huge milestone for women’s basketball in Germany, and the team hopes to advance to the quarterfinals.
“I feel like people underestimate how much this means to us as players,” said Fiebich. “We’ve been working for this for five or six years and also for all these kids at home … they can look at us playing in the Olympics and just have like role models. And I think that’s so important for us.”
Looking ahead, Germany is set to host the women’s basketball World Cup in 2026.
“Hopefully, at the World Cup we won’t be talking about advancing, but winning a medal,” Satou Sabally said.
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