The Liberty have lost one of its heroes from their 2024 championship team.
During Friday’s WNBA expansion draft, the newly-formed Toronto Tempo selected Nyara Sabally with their second pick (fourth overall).
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The Liberty and the other organizations could only protect five players for this draft, which was one fewer than last year’s. The Valkyries selected Kayla Thornton away from New York last year.
Like Thornton before her, the loss of Sabally is significant. The 6-foot-5 center was drafted No. 5 overall in the 2022 draft and averaged 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds across 76 games (10 starts) with the Liberty. However, her performance in Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals will forever be remembered by the fanbase.
Sabally posted 13 points and seven rebounds while shooting 5-for-7 from the field. Her steal in overtime helped the Liberty secure the first championship in franchise history.
Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb released a statement following Sabally’s selection.
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“Saying goodbye to Nyara is extremely difficult, especially knowing the impact she has had within our organization and the lasting legacy she leaves with this franchise,” Kolb wrote. “From the moment she arrived in 2022, Nyara brought professionalism, humility, and a true team‑first mindset, quickly becoming a valued part of our locker room and Liberty family. Her performance in Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals will forever be part of Liberty history and was pivotal in delivering our first championship. We are grateful for everything she gave to this team and excited to see her step into an expanded role in the next chapter of her career with Toronto.”
The Tempo’s selection of Sabally makes sense considering Sandy Brondello is the head coach for the organization’s inaugural season. Brondello, of course, coached the Liberty for four seasons (2022-25), including the organization’s championship year.
In addition, the Tempo also acquired the player rights to Liberty prospect Adja Kane. The center was selected by the Liberty with the No. 38 overall pick in the 2025 draft. The French native spent the 2025-26 season with Landerneau Bretagne Basket in the French LFB, averaging 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in 19 regular season contests.
