"I'm back": Wings star Satou Sabally ecstatic after on-court return in marquee exhibition game vs USA

By Michael Macasero

Modified Jul 24, 2024 14:28 GMT

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Satou Sabally has been out since February after injuring her shoulder in an Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Brazil. The Dallas Wings star helped Germany to a 2-1 card in the competition to help Deutschland punch a ticket to the 2024 Paris Summer Games. Germany’s appearance will be the first in the quadrennial event for the country’s women’s basketball.

On Monday, the Germans played their second pre-Olympic game. Sabally and Co. faced Team USA, the heavy favorites to win the gold medal, in an exhibition game in London. Considering the long layoff, the reigning WNBA Most Improved Player did quite well against the Americans.

Satou Sabally went on Instagram a day after battling Team USA at the O2 Arena to share her emotions:

“I’m Back”

Unsurprisingly, the caption came with the triumphant and unicorn emojis. Any athlete who is returning from a long injury layoff to recover has to be thrilled. The unicorn is a reference to the moniker fans and analysts have called her since entering the WNBA in 2020.

In her first game back, Satou Sabally struggled a bit versus the size and athleticism of the Americans. She finished with eight points, five rebounds and two assists but had a game-high five turnovers. Die Mannschaft will be desperately hoping she gets some of her rhythm back when the Olympics starts in a few days.

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Satou Sabally and the Germans will be underdogs in the Olympics

Satou Sabally and her teammates will be making history at the Olympics in Paris. As a reward for their superb showing at the qualifying tournament in Brazil, they earned a place in Group C with USA, Japan and Belgium.

Deutschland are clear underdogs even in the preliminary stage of the competition. The Americans are likely to top the group and might steamroll the rest of the field on their way to another gold medal. No team is deeper and more skilled than A’ja Wilson and Co.

Belgium is one of the few teams who might have a chance of keeping up with the Americans. The Belgians nearly beat Team USA in Antwerp a few months ago despite missing several key players. They are complete and ready to test the gold-medal favorites.

Japan is also a tough challenge for Satou Sabally and her teammates. The silver medalists in the Tokyo Olympics are known for their chemistry and never-say-die spirit. They are ranked No. 6 in the world rankings by FIBA.

Germany is unfazed by what lies ahead of them. This is what they worked hard for and they will be raring to meet the challenge. A healthy Sabally could help them land a podium finish despite the odds stacked against them.

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