New York Liberty star Satou Sabally hasn't suited up in seven weeks, and that might not change anytime soon. "She's gonna be away from the team for a little bit. It's her second significant head injury in the past 12 months," Liberty head coach Chris Demarco said Thursday. "As with all our players, health will always be the focus. We look forward to getting her back. She's just taking some time right now." Sabally's injury designation was changed from concussion protocol to "head" on Aug. 12. On June 23, during an 87-76 win over the Las Vegas Aces, Sabally exited the game early. With 5:31 remaining in the first quarter, the Liberty forward was elbowed in the face by Aces forward NaLyssa Smith while competing for a rebound attempt. Sabally, who was called for a loose-ball foul on the play, fell to the ground, removed her glasses and rubbed her head. She eventually got to her feet under her own power. Sabally was subbed out and went to the bench. She returned to action at the start of the second quarter and played for nearly four minutes before checking back out. Sabally did not come back to the court. She played eight minutes, finishing with one assist and one block before exiting. In 13 games this season, Sabally averaged 10.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists, while shooting 45.9% from the floor and 38.5% from the 3-point line.
Satou Sabally injury history Sabally has a history of concussions. She suffered a concussion in Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Finals while competing for the Phoenix Mercury after her head made contact with Aces forward Kierstan Bell's knee, trying to corral an offensive rebound. The injury ended Sabally's season early. During the offseason, she missed the second season of Unrivaled while dealing with lingering concussion symptoms. Sabally didn't participate in the Liberty's two preseason games due to reconditioning. She then missed the first four games of the season due to a cyst, delaying her debut for the Liberty until May 21. Sabally was also sidelined on May 27 in the Liberty's 84-74 win over the Mercury with an illness. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Satou Sabally temporarily leaves Liberty to focus on head injury recovery