Sandy Brondello went back for her former player.
Nyara Sabally is no longer a member of the Liberty after the Toronto Tempo selected her in the first round of the WNBA expansion draft, the league announced Friday.
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Sabally was one of 22 combined players selected by the Tempo and Portland Fire — the WNBA’s newest expansion teams set to begin play in 2026. The Tempo also used a second-round pick to acquire the rights to French center Adja Kane.
Kane, a stashed prospect, never played for the Liberty after being selected 38th overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft.
Here’s how the draft unfolded for both expansion franchises:
FIRE
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Round 1, Pick 1: Bridget Carleton – Minnesota (former team)
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Round 1, Pick 3: Carla Leite – Golden State
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Round 1, Pick 5: Luisa Geiselsöder – Dallas
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Round 1, Pick 7: Emily Engstler – Washington
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Round 1, Pick 9: Maya Caldwell – Atlanta
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Round 1, Pick 11: Chloe Bibby – Indiana
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Round 2, Pick 14: Haley Jones – Dallas
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Round 2, Pick 16: Nyadiew Puoch – Atlanta
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Round 2, Pick 18: Sarah Ashlee Barker – Los Angeles
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Round 2, Pick 20: Sug Sutton – Washington
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Round 2, Pick 24: Nika Mühl – Seattle
TEMPO
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Round 1, Pick 2: Julie Allemand – Los Angeles
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Round 1, Pick 4: Nyara Sabally – New York
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Round 1, Pick 6: Marina Mabrey – Connecticut
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Round 1, Pick 8: Aaliyah Nye – Las Vegas
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Round 1, Pick 10: Alexa Held – Phoenix
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Round 2, Pick 13: María Conde – Golden State
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Round 2, Pick 15: Maria Kliundikova – Minnesota
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Round 2, Pick 17: Adja Kane – New York
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Round 2, Pick 19: Nikolina Milić – Connecticut
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Round 2, Pick 21: Kitija Laksa – Phoenix
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Round 2, Pick 23: Kristy Wallace – Indiana
Mabrey and Carleton are both unrestricted free agents, meaning that the expansion teams may designate them a core player (the WNBA’s equivalent to the NFL’s franchise tag), giving the team exclusive negotiating rights.
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As a result of a Wednesday’s three-team trade involving the expansion teams and the Chicago Sky, both the Fire and Tempo agreed to not select from Chicago’s list of unprotected players.
Prior to the draft, each of the 13 existing WNBA teams submitted a roster list that included every player it had rights to. Each team were allowed to protect up to five players that couldn’t be selected by the Fire and Tempo.
Sabally wasn’t on the Liberty’s list of untouchables.
Now after three seasons in New York, Sabally is headed to Toronto to play under Brondello, who coached the former lottery pick since her arrival to the league.
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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,” said Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb. “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.”
It’s almost fitting that Brondello is reunited with Sabally, who is forever cemented in Liberty lore.
The head coach relied on Sabally in the second half of a do-or-die WNBA Finals clinching matchup against the Minnesota Lynx in 2024. The sudden lineup change, of course, resulted in the Liberty’s first-ever title in franchise history.
With star teammates struggling, Sabally shined with 13 points in 17 minutes off the bench in the OT victory. Her breakaway steal leading to a layup with just over three minutes remaining in overtime stretched the Liberty’s lead to five before New York won, 67-62.
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The play cued the Barclays Center crowd to erupt — and they’ll erupt again when the play is shown during Sabally’s tribute video during her June 3 return to Brooklyn.
“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,” said Kolb. “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.”
