The “Unicorn” Satou Sabally is a player that I’m extremely excited about joining the Unrivaled league. Sabally’s upbringing is quite unique as she was born on April 25, 1998, in New York City, but grew up in Berlin, Germany. She is of mixed heritage, with a Gambian father and a German mother, and is fluent in multiple languages.
Sabally was introduced to basketball at a young age growing up in Germany and she quickly excelled. She quickly became one of the top young prospects in all of Europe because she possessed a smooth-guard-like offensive skill set on such a tall frame. The 6’4” Forward can defend any position on the court and score from any position, which is a rare combination at any level.
Satou got to display her unique versatility on the college level at the University of Oregon, from 2017 to 2020. Her impact was immediate, as she helped lead the Ducks to unprecedented success alongside teammates Sabrina Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard. During her sophomore season, she averaged 16.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game that led to her earning All-Pac-12 honors. Her junior year was even more impressive as she averaged 16.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game that helped boost Oregon to the Final Four in 2019. Sabally’s accolades during her college career were quite extensive and they include being named to the All-Pac-12 team twice coupled with Associated Press All-America honors. She was incredibly instrumental in helping Oregon win the Pac-12 Tournament Championship in 2019 and 2020 because of her versatility on both the offensive and defensive ends.
Sabally’s rare ability to play multiple positions, handle the ball, shoot from the perimeter, and defend various positions at her height, is why Sabally made the right decision to declare for the 2020 WNBA Draft after her junior year. Satou Sabally would end up being selected 2nd overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2020 WNBA Draft. In her rookie season, Sabally averaged 13.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, earning her a spot on the WNBA All-Rookie Team. In 2023, Sabally had a breakout season, earning her first WNBA All-Star selection and winning the WNBA Most Improved Player award. She elevated her game to new heights as she averaged career highs in points, rebounds, and assists, while becoming a leader on the court for the wings. As of now, Sabally has been named to the WNBA All-First Team and another All-Star team. This was a credit to her talent of being able to impact the game in multiple ways beyond scoring with her rebounding, defending, and playmaking capabilities that has established her as one of the league’s rising stars.
I love what I’ve been seeing from her during this current WNBA season. Sabally is averaging 17.9 points, 6.4 boards, and 5 assists per game. What’s even more impressive than those numbers, is that she’s shooting 42% from the field and 45% from 3. Sabally has shown that her game is continuing to ascend towards the top stars in the league and she’s still scoring at a highly-efficient level. She’s going to have a large impact in this Unrivaled league because there’s really no true flaw to her game. She can go by anyone, shoot over anyone, and guard anyone, which makes her the ultimate “Unicorn” and an obvious matchup problem on both sides of the ball.
