Sabally sisters ready to lead Germany women's basketball team to its first Olympic appearance

PARIS (AP) — Satou and Nyara Sabally plan on enjoying Germany’s first trip to the Olympics in women’s basketball.

The sisters are proud to have a chance to play together and will soak in every minute of their experience in Paris.

“It means everything, I love to share the court with her,” said Satou Sabally, a 6-foot-3 forward. “We have an unspoken bond that we can play off each other. We saw it in February; we were like little kids again as we shared a room on the road."

The Sabally sisters helped Germany reach the Olympics by rallying to beat host Brazil in a qualifying tournament in February. Nyara Sabally, 24, said that at one point during the tournament she looked over and took a moment to reflect on having the opportunity to play with her sister again.

“That was a lot of fun,” she said. “It's special and comes very natural on the court.”

They didn't get a chance in college at Oregon to be on the court together. Nyara Sabally, 6-4, dealt with knee injuries her first two seasons which were her sister's last at the school.

Advancing at the tournament in Brazil came with a price as 26-year-old Satou Sabally separated her shoulder and wasn't able to play during the first half of the WNBA season. She has been cleared to compete at the Paris Games.

“I had a rough last couple months and worked every day and week to come back,” Satou said. “Now I can sit back and enjoy the ride.”

The sisters hope the team can take the next step and advance to the quarterfinals once Olympic play begins. The Germans face a stiff challenge after landing in a tough pool headlined by U.S., which has won the last seven Olympic gold medals.

“We are taking it game by game and going with the flow,” Satou Sabally continued. “I know we have to be confident in our team and we’re there for a reason.”

Before getting to Paris, Germany plays the U.S. in an exhibition game in London on Tuesday night. It will be a chance for Nyara Sabally and Leonie Fiebich to play against some of their New York Liberty teammates who are on the U.S. team — Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu.

“They’re enemies. Already doing the scout,” Nyara Sabally said laughing.

Win or lose in Paris, playing in the Olympics is a huge step for women's basketball in Germany.

“I feel like people underestimate how much this means to us as players,” said Fiebich. “We've been working for this for five or six years and also for all these kids at home ... they can look at us playing in the Olympics and just have like role models. And I think that’s so important for us. ”

Germany is set to host the women's basketball World Cup in 2026, which will be another big moment for the nation.

“It’s great, we’re making history. The whole German basketball wave is thriving off that," Satou Sabally said. "It starts off with the Olympics and have that as the standard that German basketball can build off of. Hopefully at the World Cup we won’t be talking about advancing, but winning a medal.”

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games