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Jonquel Jones was named the 2024 WNBA Finals MVP but it is not an overstatement to say the New York Liberty would not have won the title without reserve forward Nyara Sabally. The lesser-known sister of Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally received an ovation from the crowd during the trophy ceremony.
After the Liberty's Game 5 win, Satou Sabally sent her sister a heartfelt congratulatory message on X, formerly Twitter, for her championship performance. With the win, Nyara Sabally became the first member of the family to win a WNBA championship.
“Whole arena chanting Sabally,” Satou Sabally tweeted. “So proud of my baby sis, she's been through so much and deserves THE WORLDDDDDDD @nyarasabally”
Entering Game 5, Nyara Sabally played just 73 total minutes in the playoffs and was largely a deep reserve option. She was not even the top forward off the bench for the Liberty with Kayla Thornton often entering the game ahead of her. But in Game 5, Sabally's 13 points and seven rebounds were key to the team's win as she helped them mount a comeback.
Breanna Stewart called the 24-year-old the team's “X-factor” who gave them a “spark” when the starters were “tired” in the second half. Nyara Sabally's 13 points were one shy of her career-high in a single game.
Wings' Satou Sabally and Liberty's Nyara Sabally career arcs
Despite Nyara Sabally's Game 5 heroics, she is still undeniably in her older sister's shadow when it comes to individual accomplishments. The sisters played collegiately together at Oregon before Satou was selected second overall in the 2020 WNBA Draft and Nyara joined her in the league two years later as the fifth overall pick.
Since going professional, Satou Sabally's career has completely taken off. The 26-year-old has twice been named an All-Star and enjoyed a career year in 2023 that saw her earn the WNBA's Most Improved Player award and a first-team All-WNBA nomination. That same year, she won a EuroLeague championship, leading the Fenerbahçe squad to a title.
While the older sister has thrived on the Wings, Nyara Sabally has struggled to find her groove with the Liberty. The younger, but bigger, dealt with injuries and did not play until the 2023 season and averaged just 7.9 minutes per game. Her playing time increased to 13.5 minutes per game in 2024 but she remained buried on a depth chart that boasts Stewart and Jones in the frontcourt.
Despite not being on the same WNBA team, the Sabally sisters are not done playing as teammates. Both were key members of the 2024 Germany women's national team that qualified for its first Olympics in July.
