Liberty forward Satou Sabally won’t be playing for the German national team in next month’s FIBA World Cup.
Sabally shared the news in a letter posted to her Instagram Story in German and English.
“It’s incredibly hard for me to share that I won’t be able to be part of the World Cup in Berlin,” Sabally wrote. “Competing at the World Cup at home, in front of you, my family, and with this team is something I’ve worked toward for years.
“Right now, I have to listen to my body, put my health first and prioritize my full recovery,” she continued. “I feel your support for all these years and I’m so grateful for it. I’m incredibly proud of this team and I’ll be with you all in spirit, cheering from afar.”
The news comes a week after the Liberty announced that Sabally would be away from the team indefinitely as she remains on the mend from a concussion she suffered during a late June game.
Sabally has cleared concussion protocol, but is still not 100 percent.
There’s no timeline for Sabally’s return, and coach Chris DeMarco didn’t specify whether Sabally would be participating in any basketball-related activities while away from the team.
“We’ll get there,” DeMarco said last week. “This is under the guidance of our performance team. But just for now, she’s just taking some time away, making sure she’s healthy.”
There’s obvious concern for Sabally’s long-term physical and mental health as this was her second head injury in less than a year.
Sabally also suffered a concussion in Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Finals that sidelined her for most of the offseason.
She didn’t participate in Unrivaled earlier this year and didn’t return to basketball activities until March.
The FIBA World Cup tournament is set to run from Sept. 4-13 in Berlin, and the Liberty should be well represented.
Breanna Stewart has been named to the U.S. roster, though Sabrina Ionescu was snubbed.
Leonie Fiebich is expected to be on Germany’s roster, Raquel Carrera on Spain’s and Han Xu on China’s.
The Liberty’s French trio of Marine Johannes, Pauline Astier and Marine Fauthoux are all in contention to make their national team.
