Oregon Women’s Basketball: Nyara Sabally joins Sabrina Ionescu in New York

Former Oregon women’s basketball star Nyara Sabally was selected in the first round of the 2022 WNBA Draft, but will sit out the 2022 season.

Nyara Sabally is the younger sister of Satou Sabally who was with Oregon along with Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard who were known at the time as the big three just a few years ago. The team for three seasons had consistency and was highly ranked and even came close to the National Championship several times. If it was not for COVID-19 canceling the 2020 postseason, the team would have been big favorites to win the national championship.

With Hebard in Chicago and Ionescu taken as the top pick to New York several years ago, now the younger Sabally will have an opportunity at the professional level and with an experienced player who she already knows in Ionescu. Oregon fans who are looking forward to seeing this reunion on the court will have to wait a while.

Nyara Sabally has spent several years with the Ducks dealing with injuries and she will need to take the entire 2022 season to get things right so she will be able to play in 2023. This is something that the New York Liberty knew before they selected her with the 5th pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft.

New York also drafted a center in the first round, a 19-year-old in Sika Kone who will also sit out the 2022 season. It is clear the first pieces of this draft were for future success.

The WNBA begins team training camp on Sunday, April 24th. The 2022 regular season is set to start on Friday, May 6th with New York hosting Connecticut on Saturday, May 7th at 3 pm Pacific Time on ESPN.