Satou Sabally is currently the best German basketball player, in the 2020 WNBA draft she was even drafted in second place by the Dallas Wings. In an interview with SPOX and DAZN the 24-year-old talks to Dirk Nowitzki about her journey from Berlin via Freiburg to the USA, her social commitment and tennis.
In her three years in the WNBA so far, Sabally has averaged 12.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists at 39.3 percent from the field. In 2021 she even made it into the All-Star Team. During the US offseason, Sabally also plays for Fenerbahce in Europe, has already won two championship titles in Turkey and was voted into the All-EuroLeague First Team in 2022.
Away from the basketball court, she fights against racism and works with Jordan Brand to ensure safe access to sports for girls. In the summer, the Satou Sabally Court was inaugurated on the Tempelhofer Feld in Berlin.
Ms. Sabally, you hold a special title: you are the highest-drafted German basketball player since you were drafted second in 2020 – higher than Dirk Nowitzki and everyone else. What does that mean for you?
Satou Sabally: I am very honored to hold this “title”. There is a lot of hard work behind it and I deserve it. I belong there and can therefore proudly say that I was once the second pick in the draft. It also speaks for German basketball. I come from a good program that has allowed me to reach such a level. That’s why I don’t want to compare myself to others. It is also a credit to German basketball.
Before you played in college in Oregon, you were active in Freiburg. Was it a difficult decision for you to make the switch back then?
Sabally: It was an important step for me, mainly because of my education. As a woman, you will not become a multi-millionaire and you cannot secure the rest of your life with sport. That’s why my academic achievements were very important to me. I did my Abitur in Germany and after that I knew that going to a German university would no longer be compatible with sport there. It would have taken a lot of time and resources to do that, but it’s much more efficient in the US. I could have just played in Europe and I wouldn’t advise anyone against taking that step. But if the university comes first, then nowhere can this be better combined than in the USA.
Satou Sabally: “I’ve learned how much I can achieve”
You didn’t just go to any college, you went to Oregon, which a) was/is very successful and b) is really far away from Berlin. Did you have to explain that at home?
Sabally: I had to warm my parents up a bit for that. I was 14 or 15 when I looked for the first Bundesliga in Germany for the first time. After that I said to my mom: “I think I have to get out of Berlin.” It became mentally clear to me that sooner or later I would simply have to take further steps. I don’t want to stand still, I always want to achieve more. Oregon was just a place to go that could give me what I needed at the time. They were already talking about the WNBA back then and knew how to get me to the required level. And that was the level I wanted to be at.
How did those three years in Oregon shape you overall?
Sabally: Very. Overall I had a great time there, but it was also very stressful. Everything is packed into one day there. When I look back, I sometimes wonder how I managed to do it all. But it works because you have such a great group. I had the support of the coaches, who believed in me but were also very honest with me and openly criticized me. And even as a woman, I learned there how much I can achieve, what I can do as a player in the community. For example, I organized the first Black History Month Game in Oregon. In the first year I wished for that and nothing happened, in the second year I just took matters into my own hands. I had this freedom there and was able to learn a lot myself about how to plan such an event, for example, where it’s not just about the game, but also about an important social issue.
Satou Sabally: “Germany is loved here – especially Dirk”
Then you ended up in Dallas, probably the most Germany-friendly city in the USA.
Sabally: Yes, that is probably correct. Germany is loved here. Well, above all Dirk, of course – you get asked about him everywhere when people know you’re from Germany. But I really like Texas and Dallas in general. The environment is great, the people are very welcoming. I assume that Dirk had a very large part in it.
Do you know him personally now?
Sabally: We met a few times. For example, he and his wife invited me to their tennis tournament. It was really nice how they really welcomed us with open arms and showed that they also belong to this circle of excellent basketball players. It’s also really cool to share knowledge and spend time together.
Did you play too?
Sabally: He asked me if I could play tennis. I said, “That’s relative.” I don’t think he wanted me around after that. (laughs) I can play a bit, but it probably wouldn’t have been enough there. I’m not very regular either.
