New York Liberty forward Satou Sabally is out for the rest of the WNBA season.
On Thursday, the franchise announced Sabally will miss the remainder of the season after suffering head injury in June.
In August, the team shared she would temporarily leave the team to focus on her recovery.
"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 on Aug. 13. "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."
On Aug. 12, Sabally's injury designation was changed from concussion protocol to "head."
On June 23, during a game against the Las Vegas Aces, Sabally exited the matchup
early. With 5:31 remaining in the first quarter, the Liberty star was elbowed in the face by Aces forward NaLyssa Smith as they competed for a rebound. 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.
Sabally played 13 games for New York, starting five matchups. She 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 play in the Liberty's two preseason games due to reconditioning. She then missed the first four games of the season with a cyst, delaying her Liberty debut 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 ruled out for rest of 2026 WNBA season with head injury
