The Sabally sisters never had to be direct opponents to each other's championship dreams before the 2025 WNBA Playoffs. That's when Satou Sabally's Phoenix Mercury and Nyara Sabally's New York Liberty had to face off against one another in the opening round, meaning one sister would be the reason the other's season was cut short. But did the duo allow this dilemma to get in between their bond?
In an interview with Glamour as two of the magazine's 2025 Women of the Year honorees, the sisters gave a glimpse into the way they were choosing to handle the tense showdown before the series tipped off.
“I think, now, it was all more so enjoying the moment and really being excited for each other,” Satou revealed about their postseason mindsets. “But this is the first time this is actually pretty serious, so we're like, ‘Okay, well, are we going to talk about what happens afterwards about the different scenarios?”
“You give the other person probably a little space after,” Nyara surmised. “There's no bad blood or anything … you might be upset a little about the situation afterwards, but it's nothing. We'll still probably hang out after the game.”
Now that the 2025 WNBA Playoffs have ended, fans are well aware that the Mercury eliminated the defending champion Liberty 2-1 before going on to get swept by the Las Vegas Aces in the Finals. The pair didn't get to share as much court time as they may have liked since Nyara was returning from a right knee injury, but they also didn't automatically take it easy on one another on the court.
The Sabally sisters have very different personalities, whether in terms of playing style or their character. As two of seven total siblings born to a Gambian father and German mother, they've each carved out a lane to express themselves individually.
“I feel like I'm not a very chippy player, that's more Satou,” Nyara said. “I'm usually the calm one.”
Satou appeared to confirm her younger sister's claim. “Nyara, she'll play the piano at home. I'm the one dragging her out [of] the house,” she said. “But one thing we do have in common is our love for food and traveling.”
Clearly, though, they have clearly shown that they cherish their relationship off the court as well. “Even if you tease your sibling, you can't do that all the time. There's a trust and a foundation that needs to be built in order to be able to do that,” Satou said. She likens the relationship building with her siblings to forming a bond with her teammates.
“You go to war with them, and you have to build trust. You have to learn how to communicate and really go through these family dynamics, even in the locker room,” the 27-year-old explained. “You still have to suit up, and you still have to trust each other on the court.”
With that being said, Satou and Nyara did get the chance to play as both sisters and teammates for the first time since their days at Oregon while suiting up for the German national team at the 2024 Olympics. Now, they've revealed their plans to spend their offseason together in Miami, Florida, as Satou plays in Unrivaled and Nyara continues to rehab her injury.
“I feel like my focus this offseason is to get as healthy as I possibly can so I can play a full season,” the 25-year-old said. “That's really the focus, and just to play to the [ability] I know I can.”
With this first playoff challenge out of the way, the Sabally sisters are more than prepared for whatever awaits them in the 2026 WNBA season.
