Halfcourt shots at the end of shootarounds are a tradition in the WNBA.
When Nyara Sabally was with the Liberty, she took her heaves underhanded while positioned close to the sideline.
Many of them ended in not-so-close airballs.
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Sabally — now back as a member of the Toronto Tempo — threw her Hail Mary using the traditional shooting form on Wednesday.
And of course, she nailed the shot.
Call it luck. Or call it a symbolic of a player thriving in a bigger role after stepping into a new environment.
“I made it in Indiana so I was like ‘once I make it, I’m [going] to start shooting the normal way,’” she said.
“The only reason I didn’t shoot it the normal way is because I’m so good at it, and I want to give other people a chance,” she joked. “So I have to switch it up from the side, you know?”
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Regardless of what you think, the halfcourt make was very fitting for Sabally, who returned to Barclays Center for the first time since joining the Tempo this offseason.
The homecoming included ex-Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello, assistants Olaf Lange and Brian Lankton and forward Isabelle Harrison.
Those familiar faces are “really valuable” to Sabally, who was poached from the Liberty in the first round of an expansion draft two months ago.
“Especially after such a big change, emotional change, it’s always nice to have people that you’re very familiar with and know really well. It just made the whole process easier.”
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Toronto — alternating selections with the Portland Fire — selected Sabally with the fourth overall pick.
After years of playing behind future Hall of Famers Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones in Brooklyn, Sabally immediately became an important cog on a Tempo roster that includes Kia Nurse, Brittney Sykes (who leads the team with 19.9 points per game) and Marina Mabrey.
Sabally herself is averaging career-highs in points (11.9), rebounds (5.3), steals (1.6), blocks (1.4) and minutes (25.1).
Sabally now has the opportunity to start every game after leaving via the expansion draft.
A lot of emotions, like really emotional,” Sabally said. “I was glad that it was a place like Toronto. I was glad that it was obviously East Coast, closer to home. Small things like that really do matter. So the fact that it was a city that close — Toronto — very familiar faces with Sandy, Olaf, Brian really kind of softened the blow. And then after the initial shock, it’s just also a lot of excitement because of all the reasons I just listed, and just being able to like have something new.”
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Brondello’s arrival in Toronto came after the Liberty fired her days following an early postseason exit. The move to oust the franchise’s winningest head coach came a year after she led the team to its first WNBA title in history.
Yet, she said she’s “excited to be back in New York,” and it was great to “see familiar faces.”
“One door closes, another one opens. I’ve enjoyed it here, but I’m embracing my new role too,” the coach said.
Toronto hired Brondello five months before the team began assembling their roster.
Aside from Wednesday’s Commissioner’s Cup opener, the Aussie coach’s return to New York included a speaking engagement with the American Australian Association.
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Sabally hung out with former teammate — and fellow German national team member — Leonie Fiebich, sister Satou Sabally and other friends.
“It’s always fun to see friends again,” Nyara said. “At that point, they’re family. I mean, Satou obviously is family.”
While it’s Nyara’s first time facing a former pro team, Brondello isn’t new to the game.
She experienced the same thing in 2022 having to face off against the Phoenix Mercury, a team she coached for eight seasons, including the 2014 WNBA championship season.
