Beset by injury, WNBA forward Nyara Sabally joins Sacramento State coaching staff

One of the nation’s best college basketball players last year will spend her rookie season coaching in Sacramento instead of playing in the pros.

Nyara Sabally, picked No. 5 overall by the New York Liberty in this year’s WNBA draft, is an assistant coach for the Sacramento State women’s basketball team, the school announced Tuesday.

In an effort to get her health back on track, the talented 6-foot 5-forward was ruled out of playing in the current WNBA season.

“I am very grateful for this amazing opportunity to join the Sacramento State coaching staff,” Sabally said in a news release. “I look forward to working alongside great coaches and mentors that I have looked up to the past few years. I can’t wait to get on campus and get to work.”

In Sacramento, Sabally will be reunited with second-year Hornets head coach Mark Campbell, who coached Nyara Sabally and her sister, Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally, at Oregon.

The German and Gambia native was a two-time All-Pac-12 conference selection in 2021 and 2022. In her final season at Oregon, she averaged 15.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals a game, making her the first player to do so since Los Angeles Sparks star Chiney Ogwumike did so with Stanford in 2013.

Campbell said Sabally will help Sacramento State with international recruiting.

“We are thrilled to add Nyara to our program,” Campbell said in the news release. “She is like family to our entire coaching staff and will have a major impact working with our current players. She has had unique experiences of competing at the highest level of college and international basketball. Nyara is a humble servant leader.”

The Hornets finished with a 14-16 overall (10-10 in conference) record last year in Campbell’s first season.

This story was originally published July 12, 2022 at 12:00 AM.