Liberty Exercising Finals Heroine Nyara Sabally's 4th Year Option
New York Liberty depth star Nyara Sabally is bringing back a special souvenir from her trip back to her collegiate home.
The Liberty announced on Monday that it will exercise the fourth-year option on Nyara Sabally's rookie contract, which will keep her in sea foam through at least the 2026 season. The announcement comes hours before Sabally plays an exhibition game against Japan's Toyota Antelopes on the campus of her alma mater, the University of Oregon (10 p.m. ET, WWOR).
Sabally joined the Liberty as a fifth overall pick in 2022, two years after New York made her fellow former Duck Sabrina Ionescu the top choice. Injuries ate away at Sabally's first two tours, including a knee ailment that wiped out her entire would-be rookie campaign. Sabally went on to establish herself as a reliable depth star last year, averaging 4.9 points and 4.0 rebounds in just over 13 minutes a game.
In Liberty lore, Sabally is best known for her performance in the clinching game of the Liberty's first postseason championship: in just over 17 minutes of the overtime victory over the Minnesota Lynx, Sabally put up 13 points and seven rebounds, becoming the fifth New Yorker to earn a double-figure scoring output in a WNBA Finals game.
"She has that X-factor. [She has an] ability to make one-on-one plays, to rebound the ball, to play great defense. I mean, all of it, and then to finish plays," Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello said of Sabally after her Game 5 heroics in October. "[I'm] really, really proud of her. I know she's had a lot of adversity over her career, but it was the biggest game of her career, and she really rose to the occasion. For a young player, that says a lot about her. I mean, the future is pretty bright."
Sabally will receive her championship ring on Saturday when the Liberty open their title defense against the Las Vegas Aces at Barclays Center.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network. In addition to the Yankees/Mets, Geoff also covers the New York Knicks, New York Liberty, and New York Giants and has previously written about the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Staten Island Yankees, and NASCAR.