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When Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally were in college, the Oregon teammates used to talk about what it would be like to play together at the professional level.
Up until this point, with both locked into the teams that selected them No. 1 and 2 overall in the 2020 draft, those conversations were mostly wishful thinking.
But that dream of teaming up as professionals will soon be coming true — at least in one professional setting and perhaps another.
Ionescu and Sabally have been reunited as teammates on the Phantom and will make their debut next week in Miami at Unrivaled.
“It’s amazing,” Sabally said Thursday of playing with Ionescu again. “She’s a great person, and what we’ve always respected of each other is that work ethic, and I know she’s going to bring that in.”
But could this be the start of a yearlong reunion for the two former Oregon stars?
It’s not out of the realm of possibility after Sabally dropped a bombshell Thursday during Unrivaled’s media availability.
Sabally, an unrestricted free agent, said she’ll be moving on from the Dallas Wings after five seasons.
“I’ve already communicated with Dallas how grateful I am because they’ve made this a home for me the past years, and I’m working with them together and finding a next home for me,” Sabally said. “I’ve already played my last game in Dallas.”
Let the Sabally Sweepstakes begin.
Given the situation, the Wings will likely use their core designation on Sabally, which would allow Dallas to orchestrate a sign-and-trade in order to get some return on the 6-foot-4 forward who’s been labeled a “unicorn” since her college days.
There will be plenty of competition for Sabally. And the defending champion Liberty should be one of the teams that make a play for the star.
Sabally would make any team better, given her length and versatile skill set. But spending a premium on a player with an extensive injury history like Sabally does come with some risk.
Since being drafted, Sabally has played more than 20 games in a season only once in five years. Last season, she was limited to 15 games because she had a shoulder injury and represented Germany at the 2024 Paris Games.
For the Liberty, though, Sabally would be worth the gamble. When available, Sabally is among the league’s elite players.
Last season, she averaged 17.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and five assists. She shot 42.6 percent from the field and 45.2 from deep while averaging 5.6 3-point attempts per game.
What might give New York an edge in negotiations for Sabally is the fact that in addition to the Ionescu connection, she already has several ties to the Liberty.
She was born in New York City, and her younger sister, Nyara, has played with the Liberty since they drafted her No. 5 overall in 2022.
Last month, Nyara discussed the possibility of a Sabally sister reunion, saying it would be a dream come true for their mother.
“Obviously I would love for her to come play with me,” the younger Sabally said. “But that’s a decision she’ll make for herself.”
Satou Sabally said Thursday that she was open to the possibility of playing with her sister in New York.
“Yeah, of course. In the future, I would love that,” Sabally said.
Just hours before Sabally declared her time in Dallas is done, Wings general manager Curt Miller discussed the franchise’s future during an introductory news conference for the team’s new head coach Chris Koclanes.
“We’re trying to build something that out of the gates is foundational and sustainable,” Miller said.
To get a deal done, it would likely require Breanna Stewart to once again re-sign at a discounted rate like she did last season. The Liberty would also have to package a deal with at least one player and draft picks.
If Sabally is the prize, then the Liberty could look to move Leonie Fiebich or Marine Johannès — two players who Miller could build around along with the Wings’ No. 1 overall pick this year, which is expected to be Connecticut star Paige Bueckers.
In return, Sabally would bolster the Liberty’s chances at winning back-to-back titles before the WNBA experiences a league reset during free agency in 2026.
Sabally is “excited” about the possibilities that await her in free agency. Perhaps Unrivaled is the best place for her to be as she navigates this next phase of her career.
“I’m able to talk to a lot of players outside the Wings because I have not played on a different team yet, and I’m excited to get to know them more on a personal level,” she said. “I just love having basketball conversations and high level IQ conversations about the game to know where I will fit best in the future.”
