It was the summer of 2018. Nyara Sabally was playing in the FIBA U18 European Championship against Spain, she reached-in and got the steal, a move she has done countless times before. 

Moments later, the star player fell to the floor, wincing and clutching her knee. The crowd fell silent. She had torn her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). A massive hurdle was placed in front of her, stalling her career.

The German native exploded onto the international basketball scene when she was named MVP of the FIBA U18 Div. B European Championship after averaging 17.3 points, 12.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. Her career was then put on hold after her ACL tear. A few months after her injury, Sabally followed in her sister Satou’s footsteps to the Pacific Northwest and signed with Oregon where, after an extensive rehab process, she is finally living up to her capabilities. 

Sabally was the first to commit in Oregon’s 2018 recruiting class. She wanted to play with her sister Satou, who was already building her resumé at Oregon. But the Sabally sisters never touched the court together.

Sabally tore her ACL again in the summer of 2019. After back-to-back tears there was speculation if she would ever make her debut in the U.S. 

For two years, Sabally sat on the sidelines, watching her team as they won back-to-back Pac-12 conference championships. She saw her sister Satou get drafted to the WNBA alongside Sabrina Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard after successful Oregon careers and watched countless other teammates carve out roles for themselves.

Any journey to recovery is harrowing, and it is even harder to do it alone. Thankfully, in Sabally’s second year, she had teammate Sedona Prince. Prince was in the process of rehabbing and sitting out last season after transferring from Texas where she suffered a season-ending injury in the 2018-19 season.
“In the second year, Sedona, we went through the same thing,” Sabally said. “We were in the weight room together. We were in recovery together. Without her, the second year would have been definitely harder.”

It can be hard to find motivation in repetition, especially with treatment. Sabally worked daily to rebuild the muscles in her legs. Whether in the weight room, in therapy or everyday treatment, finding motivation can go a long way.

“Enjoy the small things, not setting too big of a goal, going day-by-day,” Sabally said. “Some days are not going to be as good as the day before. But other days, you will be able to do a squat again, which was a big accomplishment for me.” 

Entering the 2020-21 season, Sabally was ready and thankful to play, not only because she was injured, but the threat of COVID-19 had put the season in jeopardy. 

Despite coming off the bench in her first game, Sabally finished with 10 points and six rebounds against Seattle University in her long-awaited college debut. 

“In the beginning, the game was really fast,” Sabally said. “I never played on this type of level, so everybody was faster and stronger. But after my first game, everything came easier,” 

Her first game became a moment that would stick with her forever.

“I remember the first game was really emotional for me,” Sabally said. “Being able to play was an amazing feeling. If I am being honest, I was really nervous for that game.” 

Then, Sabally and the Ducks tore through many of the teams in the Pac-12. 

She finished the regular season with a team-high 14 double-figure scoring games. 

Despite the Ducks losing five of the last six games of the season before the tournament in San Antonio, Oregon bucked expectations, winning two games and almost a third.

Sabally had Prince along with her in the front court and together, the duo dominated, giving Oregon a new identity. 

The duo together changed the narrative of the Ducks’ team, reaching the program’s fourth consecutive Sweet 16 with a win over Georgia, thanks to the pair’s fourth-quarter performances. The pair combined for 14 of the Ducks’ 17 fourth-quarter points.

Despite exiting the NCAA Tournament in the Sweet 16 against Louisville, Sabally’s high-level of performance after a two-year absence bodes well for the team moving forward. 

Sabally never fulfilled her goal of being on the court with her sister Satou. But from what Nyara’s first year as a college basketball player showed, it’s apparent that she has the skills to join her sister in the WNBA. If and when that day comes, fans will be glued to the television to see the Sabally sisters finally step onto the same court.