Satou Sabally’s decision to sign with the New York Liberty was one of the biggest offseason moves in the league. It promised to make an already star-studded Liberty team even more dangerous, giving them a big four instead of a big three.
That vision never came to fruition. Sabally has only appeared in 13 games so far this season, and the Liberty are in a disappointing seventh place. Sabally hasn’t played since June 23. She is once again in concussion protocol and there have been no updates.
So, one question looming over the Liberty is whether Sabally will play at all for the rest of the regular season or the playoffs. With just ten games left in the season, that question is becoming more and more pressing. Time is working against the Liberty, and they have a tough remaining schedule that will make it difficult to improve their playoff seeding.
On August 9, head coach Chris DeMarco said he expected Sabally to return this season, but didn’t offer any other information. He may have said yes, but with every game she misses without any signs of progress, it becomes more difficult to believe.
Leonie Fiebich is moving better and is progressing, Chris DeMarco said. He understands the World Cup is on the horizon but still no timeline.
— Madeline Kenney (@madkenney) August 9, 2026
Satou Sabally has an excused absence today. Still no timeline. Asked if DeMarco expects her to be back this season, he said “yes”
Sabally’s return may not even save the Liberty’s season
Even if Sabally does return at some point this season, it might not even matter. After missing so much time, Sabally wouldn’t be in the same shape as players who have been competing at least most of the season. She also hasn’t had much time to build chemistry with her new Liberty teammates.
Having another scoring threat, even if she’s not at 100%, is never a bad thing, but it may not be enough, given how much the Liberty have struggled to find consistency and that they might not be able to escape a very tough first-round matchup.
Leonie Fiebich’s return may have a bigger impact
Fiebich isn’t the star Sabally is when she’s healthy, but her return may actually help the Liberty more at this point. First of all, in Fiebich’s case, there have actually been updates. On August 9, DeMarco said she was moving better and progressing from her foot injury. So, her return seems to be much more realistic than Sabally’s.
Moreover, Fiebich already knows how to play with Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, and Jonquel Jones. She did, after all, win a championship with them in 2024.
The Liberty could also really use her perimeter defense and size on the wing. Ionescu, Pauline Astier, and Marine Johannes play a lot of minutes because of their offensive production, but none of them are great defenders. Fiebich would fill an important gap in the perimeter rotation.
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