Overview
- Thursday’s update changed Satou Sabally’s status from concussion protocol to a “head” injury and the Liberty say she is away from the team with no timetable to return.
- Sabally suffered a second concussion after being struck by NaLyssa Smith on June 23, has played just 13 games this season and has missed additional time this year for a cyst and an illness.
- The WNBA requires full concussion-protocol clearance, including an independent neurological exam, before Sabally can be cleared to play again.
- New York’s thin frontcourt depth has forced heavier reliance on Breanna Stewart and others, and Sabally’s prolonged absence could alter the Liberty’s seed and first-round matchup as the regular season finishes.
- In Toronto, Kiki Rice suffered an apparent ankle setback days after returning from a Grade 3 sprain and was held out as a precaution, a development that deepens the Tempo’s late-season slide and limits their roster continuity.