It’s the Season of Giving, and the New York Liberty and Nyara Sabally are here to spread holiday cheer!
The holidays are a great time to look back and look ahead. During this time of year, hopefully we can think about the good in our lives, the people who mean the most to us, and start thinking ahead to what the new year can bring. It’s also a great time to give back. When you give back, you help those around you and create a sense of community. That sense of community goes a long way … and it’s something the New York Liberty prioritize.
Indeed, the WNBA champions have made community involvement a big part of their overall mission. The team has partnered with various organizations to support causes across the New York area. It’s something the organization has placed a priority on and something they will continue to emphasize as they build relationships across the city. This holiday season, Nyara Sabally and the Liberty gave back in some special and unique ways.
Teaching the game
Brandon Todd/New York Liberty
Sabally and the Liberty held a free basketball clinic for 500 kids ages 8-16 in lower Manhattan on December 14. NetsDaily was there and got a chance to chat with the budding Liberty star in between activities
“When we grew up in Berlin,” Sabally told Netsdaily, “free clinics were what we went to all the time because there were five, six, seven kids, and some parents just couldn’t afford having those clinics. And the fact that they’re free just takes that stress away from the parents so that they’re able to give the kids experiences like this.
It’s just amazing, you can see how many kids that are here. It’s just fun to see that everybody, no matter where you come from, no matter what type of background or financial income, you can enjoy it on clinics like this. So it’s always great to see that.”
Brandon Todd/New York Liberty
Throughout the morning and afternoon, Sabally coached the kids up and walked through various drills. Although she coached at Sacramento State University in 2022-2023, it was her first time coaching kids this young. She and the coaches that were on site kept the kids engaged throughout the day, taught them new skills, and gave them an early Christmas present.
Bonding through perseverance
Brandon Todd/New York Liberty
On December 18, Sabally paid a visit to the kids at the Hospital for Special Surgery’s Lerner Children’s Pavilion. This event was particularly special for Sabally. As a young athlete, she’s experienced her fair share of injuries and has undergone surgery at HSS herself. She met with kids that were recovering from surgeries, and in watching her talk with and cheer up the kids, a tie that connects them is a sense of perseverance. The process of battling back after you’ve been knocked down tests you, and Sabally has always worked to get back and be better than ever.
“I feel like that’s one of the strongest characteristics that I have is just perseverance,” Sabally told reporters at HSS. “Because I’ve had so many injuries, and there was always something. So just being able to give these kids some tips means a lot, just because it is really hard, and to look forward and to look past all the injuries. But it really is something I feel like I’ve grown at a lot.
“And I always say, I’m not glad it happened, but it does really shape me into the person I am now. And who knows if I would be sitting here right now if that didn’t happen… It has a way of working itself out.”
Brandon Todd/New York Liberty
In the holiday season, it’s always important to think about the people around you who have helped get you to this point. Having people uplift and support you goes a long way and makes the toughest days a bit brighter.
Sabally has been a fan favorite since she first suited up in 2023 and after saving New York’s championship dreams in Game 5, Liberty fans showed their love in the most wholesome way possible
“I was always very fortunate to have a really good support system around me,” Sabally said. “I was always very fortunate to land on teams that believed in me and really wanted me. So for that, I’m extremely grateful. And it’s not a given necessarily. So just having that means a lot and that grows your own confidence, too. So it’s kind of like growing together. It’s like a two way street because if you feel the appreciation and that somebody wants you, you want to give it your all. And that’s exactly what I feel like with New York.”
What’s next?
Brandon Todd/New York Liberty
As Clara Wu Tsai recently noted, while the championship glow hasn’t worn off quite yet, it’s time to get back to work. For the WNBA champion Liberty, it means starting to build out a roster to take into the 2025 season and beyond. The Liberty will be doing it without Kayla Thornton, and Sabally took time out to pay tribute to her friend and former teammate:
“KT was like a sister to me. It’s never easy to lose somebody like that. She has such a strong character. She’ll definitely be missed not just on court, but also as a person in the locker room. Anytime you wanted to laugh, KT was the one to do it. So it’s really going to be hard, but at the same time, I’m extremely happy for her.
“I think it’s a great opportunity. It’s a new team, a brand new kind of feel. It’s exciting that the league is growing, so I think everybody can agree on that. And to have somebody like KT be on that team like they really got lucky. And honestly, I would have probably picked her too! So I’m not that surprised, but obviously you’re losing a great person.”
At the time of our conversations, Nyara was still debating where to play in the off-season. On December 20, we found out where Sabally made her choice…
Fenerbahce has been one of the most successful teams in the EuroLeague and over the years has rostered all time greats such as:
- Breanna Stewart
- Satou Sabally
- Courtney Vandersloot
- Candace Parker
- Diana Taurasi
Sabally mentioned that she’s working to improve her overall game and increasing her confidence when she’s overseas. She played in Prague last off-season and built on that run there to have the game of her life in the biggest game in Liberty history. Playing with Fener gives her more opportunity to fine tune her game, get reps in, and build off her amazing Game 5. When the Liberty return in 2025, Sabally will be a big part of their title defense.
It’s been a tremendously busy off-season for Sabally. So far, she’s done three events in the New York/New Jersey area, spent time with her family in Germany, been to a few Brooklyn Nets games, and joined Leonie Fiebich on Germany’s most popular sports show!
The Liberty have brought a lot of joy and happiness to New York this year. They broke the city’s championship drought, set attendance records, and helped push the WNBA to new heights. The game is in a great place on and off the court. And through the Season of Giving campaign, Nyara Sabally and the Liberty have given fans across New York memories they’ll never forget.