History of Satou Sabally in Timeline

Isatou "Satou" Sabally is a German-American professional basketball player currently playing for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA. She played amateur basketball in Germany before moving to the US to play college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. There, she helped the Ducks achieve significant success, including a Final Four appearance. Sabally was drafted second overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2020 WNBA draft. During her five seasons with the Wings, she earned the WNBA Most Improved Player Award, was nominated for the All-WNBA First Team, and became a two-time All-Star before being traded to the Mercury in 2025.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

April 25, 1998: Satou Sabally Born

On April 25, 1998, Isatou "Satou" Sabally was born. She is a German-American professional basketball player.

Others born on this day/year

2009: Dallas Wings Won First Playoff Game

In 2022, the Dallas Wings won their first playoff game as a franchise since 2009.

2009: Dallas Wings Made Franchise WNBA Semifinal

In 2023, Satou Sabally helped the Wings make their first franchise WNBA semifinal since 2009.

2012: Joined TuS Lichterfelde

In 2012, Satou Sabally joined the Berlin basketball club TuS Lichterfelde of the 2. Damen-Basketball-Bundesliga.

2013: Played in FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship

In 2013, Satou Sabally played for the German U-16 team in the FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship for Women Division B, where Germany finished 12th.

2014: Won FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship

In 2014, Satou Sabally helped Germany win the FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship for Women Division B, earning a promotion to Division A, and was named MVP of the tournament.

2015: Joined Eisvögel USC Freiburg

In 2015, Satou Sabally joined the professional team Eisvögel USC Freiburg of the 1. Damen-Basketball-Bundesliga.

2015: Played in FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship

In 2015, Satou Sabally played for the German U-18 team in the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship for Women Division B, where Germany finished in 5th place.

2017: Continued to play for Eisvögel USC Freiburg

In 2017, Satou Sabally continued to play for the professional team Eisvögel USC Freiburg, while retaining her amateur status to maintain NCAA eligibility.

2017: Moved to the US and Played for Oregon Ducks

In 2017, Satou Sabally moved to the US and played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks, while retaining her NCAA eligibility.

2017: Won Gold Medals in the FIBA U20 Women's European Championship

In 2017, Satou Sabally played for the German U-20 team in the FIBA U20 Women's European Championship Division B, leading the team to gold medals and promotion to Division A, and was named MVP of the tournament.

2017: Played in the Jordan Brand Classic

In 2017, Satou Sabally played in the Jordan Brand Classic, becoming the first international player to participate in the girls' game.

2018: Played in the FIBA U20 Women's European Championship

In 2018, Satou Sabally led the FIBA U20 Women's European Championship in both points and rebounds per game and was named to the All-Star Five, as Germany finished 9th.

November 9, 2019: Played against US Women's National Basketball Team

On November 9, 2019, Satou Sabally scored 25 points in an exhibition game against the United States women's national basketball team, helping Oregon secure a 93-86 victory.

November 2019: Played in EuroBasket Women 2021 qualification

In November 2019, Satou Sabally played for the senior Germany women's national basketball team in the EuroBasket Women 2021 qualification, appearing in two games.

2019: Represented the German National Team

In 2019, Satou Sabally began representing the senior German national team.

2019: Reached NCAA Tournament Final Four

In 2019, Satou Sabally contributed to the Oregon Ducks reaching their first-ever NCAA tournament Final Four.

2019: Played in the European Games in Minsk

In 2019, Satou Sabally played for the Germany women's national 3x3 team at the European Games in Minsk.

2019: NCAA Leadership forum

In 2019, during her sophomore season at Oregon, Sabally was one of the Pac-12's two representatives to the NCAA Leadership forum.

February 2020: Announced Entry into WNBA Draft

In February 2020, Satou Sabally announced that she would enter the 2020 WNBA draft, despite having one remaining season of college eligibility.

August 2020: Graduation

In August 2020, Sabally completed work for a bachelor's degree in social science with a minor in legal studies, graduating in three years with honors.

December 2020: Signed with Jordan Brand

In December 2020, Satou Sabally signed with Jordan Brand.

2020: Drafted by the Dallas Wings

In 2020, Satou Sabally entered the WNBA draft and was selected second overall by the Dallas Wings.

2020: Played for Fenerbahçe

In 2020, Satou Sabally spent the first of her WNBA off-seasons with Fenerbahçe.

2020: Drafted by the Dallas Wings and Named to All-Rookie Team

In 2020, Satou Sabally was drafted as the second overall pick in the WNBA draft by the Dallas Wings. She was named to the 2020 WNBA All-Rookie Team.

May 2021: Participated in the FIBA 3x3 Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament

In May 2021, Satou Sabally participated in the 2021 FIBA 3x3 Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where Germany finished 10th and failed to qualify.

2021: Played in EuroBasket Women 2021 qualification

In 2021, Satou Sabally played for the senior Germany women's national basketball team in the EuroBasket Women 2021 qualification.

2021: Named All-Star

In 2021, Satou Sabally was named All-Star.

2021: Won Women's Basketball Super League with Fenerbahçe

In 2021, Satou Sabally won the Women's Basketball Super League with Fenerbahçe, including an undefeated run in the 2020–2021 season and finished third in the 2020-21 EuroLeague Women.

2021: Nominated to the WNBA All-Star Game

In 2021, Satou Sabally's performance earned her a nomination to the WNBA All-Star Game, although she missed games due to Achilles soreness.

2022: Partnered with Jordan Brand to Refurbish Basketball Court

In 2022, Jordan Brand partnered with Satou Sabally to refurbish a basketball court in Berlin to provide a safe space for young girls to play.

2022: Finished Second in EuroLeague Women with Fenerbahçe

In 2022, Satou Sabally finished second in the EuroLeague Women with Fenerbahçe and was named to the All-EuroLeague Women First Team in 2021–2022.

2022: Nyara Sabally Drafted by New York Liberty

In 2022, Satou's younger sister, Nyara Sabally, was drafted fifth overall by the New York Liberty in the WNBA draft.

2022: Played with the Dallas Wings and Returned for Playoffs

In the 2022 WNBA season, Satou Sabally played in only 11 regular-season games for the Dallas Wings due to injuries but returned for the playoffs.

May 2023: WNBA Cares Community Assist Award

In May 2023, Sabally received the WNBA Cares Community Assist Award in recognition of her dedication to mentoring Dallas youth and her leadership within her community.

November 2023: Returned to National Team for EuroBasket Women 2025 Qualification

In November 2023, Satou Sabally returned to the national team for the first two games of the EuroBasket Women 2025 qualification. She played with her sister Nyara in the senior national team.

December 2023: Played for Shandong Six Stars

In December 2023, Satou Sabally played for the Shandong Six Stars of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA).

2023: Satou Sabally became a restricted free agent

After her rookie contract expired after the 2023 season, Satou Sabally became a restricted free agent.

2023: Breakthrough Year and WNBA Most Improved Player

In 2023, Satou Sabally had a breakthrough year, was named a WNBA All-Star Game starter, won the WNBA Most Improved Player Award, and led the Wings to their first winning record since relocating to Dallas.

2023: Won EuroLeague Women with Fenerbahçe

In 2023, Satou Sabally won the EuroLeague Women with Fenerbahçe.

2023: All-WNBA First Team nomination and All-Star

In 2023, Satou Sabally won the WNBA Most Improved Player Award, earned an All-WNBA First Team nomination, and became a two-time All-Star.

January 2024: Signed a One-Year Deal with the Wings

In January 2024, Satou Sabally signed a one-year deal with the Dallas Wings for $195,000.

February 2024: Joins WNBA Changemakers Collective

In February 2024, Sabally joined the WNBA Changemakers Collective and their collaboration with VOICEINSPORT (VIS) as a mentor, with the aim of retaining girls in sports and fostering diverse leadership both on and off the court.

February 2024: Played in Olympic Qualifying Tournament and Suffered Shoulder Injury

In February 2024, Satou Sabally played in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belém. She suffered a shoulder injury during the first game but returned for the final game against Brazil, helping Germany qualify for the Olympic tournament for the first time. Following the tournament, she underwent surgery.

August 19, 2024: Announced Appearance in Unrivaled League

On August 19, 2024, it was announced that Satou Sabally would appear and play in the inaugural season of Unrivaled, a new women's 3-on-3 basketball league. She was assigned to Phantom, reuniting with Sabrina Ionescu.

2024: Qualified for the Olympic Tournament

In 2024, Satou Sabally helped Germany qualify for the Olympic tournament, marking the first-ever appearance for the women's basketball team.

2024: Stats Current Through End of 2024 Season

The stats are current through the end of the 2024 season.

January 9, 2025: Announced Departure from Dallas Wings

On January 9, 2025, Satou Sabally announced that she had already played her last game in Dallas and would be seeking a new team.

January 2025: Signed with Adidas

In January 2025, Satou Sabally signed with Adidas.

February 2, 2025: Traded to the Phoenix Mercury

On February 2, 2025, Satou Sabally was traded to the Phoenix Mercury in a four-team deal. She signed a one-year contract worth $215,000. Sabally scored 27 points, setting a new record for the most points scored by a Mercury player in their team debut.