Women’s Basketball World Cup: Nyara Sabally Surprises Club Coach and Germany Coach

Nyara Sabally has gone from a doubtful participant to a key player for Germany at the Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, surprising both her national-team coach and her club coach.

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I was very surprised by how well and how long Nyara could play.

Olaf Lange, who holds both coaching roles, said he was surprised by how well and how long the 26-year-old could play. Sabally appeared for nearly 22 minutes in Germany’s important 74-58 victory over Japan, scoring 18 points as the team’s second-highest scorer.

Her participation had remained uncertain until shortly before the tournament. Calf problems had kept her from playing for her WNBA club, Toronto Tempo, since Aug. 12. She had also struggled repeatedly with knee problems. Lange said she had not been able to play two games on consecutive days in Toronto because of her knee.

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I think it also has a lot to do with the fact that it is in Berlin. She has her family here, and that is a special situation.

Sabally has now played in both of Germany’s matches. Lange said her family’s presence in Berlin could also be a factor, calling the home setting a special situation. He nevertheless declined to say whether she would play in the decisive group match against Mali on Monday, saying the team would assess how she looked the following day and before the game. He added that he wanted to keep expectations in check.

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We now have to see how she presents herself tomorrow and on Monday.