WNBA’s Dirk? Dallas Wings’ Sabally hopes to make similar impact as fellow German
The Dallas Mavericks hit the jackpot when they acquired German Dirk Nowitzki during the 1998 NBA Draft. The Dallas Wings are hoping to strike similar gold more than two decades later with German Satou Sabally.
The Wings used the second overall pick to draft Sabally, a standout from Oregon, in the 2020 WNBA Draft on Friday night. And she’s fully embracing the Nowitzki storyline.
“I hope I can put Dallas on the map and get some wins just like he did,” Sabally said on the ESPN telecast. “He really inspired German basketball tremendously and I hope to be the same influence.
“I can’t wait to go to Dallas and start practicing and playing with my new team.”
It didn’t take long for Nowitzki to embrace the latest German coming to town, as he posted on Twitter: “Welcome @BallySatou. Dallas is a great spot to be!!! Let’s go!!”
The Wings are looking for Sabally to become a cornerstone player. They had three of the top seven picks (Nos. 2, 5 and 7) on Friday night, using the fifth overall to take Princeton small forward Bella Alarie and seventh overall on South Carolina point guard Tyasha Harris.
The Wings rounded out their draft class by taking another German post, Luisia Geiselsoder, with the 21st overall pick in the second round.
The hope is they’ll help form a foundation alongside point guard Arike Ogunbowale.
“We added people who know how to win and love to compete,” said Greg Bibb, the Wings’ president and CEO. “I’m really excited about the draft class.”
The prize of the Wings’ haul is Sabally. The prize of the draft was her Oregon teammate Sabrina Ionescu, who many view as a generational talent who went first overall to the New York Liberty.
But Bibb believes Sabally would’ve been the top overall pick in any draft that didn’t include a talent such as Ionescu. However, he tapped the brakes on the Nowitzki talk.
“That’s a pretty tall order,” Bibb said, chuckling. “Dirk’s one of the most popular athletes in DFW history, or at least in that conversation. But I know she’s excited to be coming to Dallas. I know she’s proud of being a German citizen. I know she and Dirk have already connected.
“I think Dallas is going to be a great fit for Satou. And it is a great extension with that story with Dirk, and then from a European standpoint with Luka Doncic. Hopefully we can continue that European success in the WNBA with Satou.”
Outside of the Nowitzki links, expectations are high for Sabally. This is a player who is nicknamed “The Unicorn” given her ability to play anywhere on the floor.
The 6-foot-4 Sabally averaged 16.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game as a junior, opting to forgo her senior season and turn professional.
“Satou Sabally has a real chance to be a star,” ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said. “She has great size and is an agile athlete. She’s an exciting young talent with a high ceiling for the Dallas Wings.”
Alarie averaged 17.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game for Princeton last season. Harris averaged 12 points and 5.7 assists per game for South Carolina.
The WNBA has postponed its traditional mid-May start amid the coronavirus pandemic. An updated schedule has not been announced yet.
This story was originally published April 17, 2020 at 7:07 PM.
