- Basketball players at the Olympics outside - comfort for Sabally
Satou Sabally spoke in the team circle to her teammates, then allowed herself to be comforted by head coach Lisa Thomaidis after a long day. The German women's basketball team's Olympic journey has come to an end. The team, led by the underperforming Sabally, lost to hosts France 71:84 (33:45) in Paris and was eliminated in the quarterfinals. In the most important game, they delivered their weakest performance of the tournament in front of an impressive crowd.
"I'm just sad that I couldn't help the team today. But I'm proud of us. German basketball has grown," Sabally said, with tears in her eyes in the interview zone. Despite months of inactivity leading up to the Olympics, she was hard on herself. "I don't want to make excuses. I could have performed better. But I understand my performance. My sports ego doesn't," Sabally said.
Reaching the quarterfinals was a surprise
France will face Belgium in the semifinals on Friday. On Thursday, the German men's team, led by Dennis Schröder, has a chance to take revenge. They will also face France in their semifinal at 5:30 PM.
Despite not making it to the medal games, the first Olympic appearance of a German women's team was a success. With two wins in the preliminary round in Lille against Belgium and Japan, and advancing to the knockout round in Paris, few had expected this. Satou Sabally said about her overall assessment and playing with her sister Nyara: "It's just a dream. I'm also glad we both got to play. I'm incredibly happy about it."
Olympic 3x3 champions watch the game
The German women's basketball team has two more highlights ahead: the EuroBasket preliminary round in Hamburg next year and the home World Cup in Berlin in 2026. And the sensational Olympic win of the 3x3 women's team will always be remembered by the German Basketball Federation (DBB).
Three of the four gold medal winners watched the game in the Bercy Arena from the front row. Svenja Brunckhorst, Sonja Greinacher, and Marie Reichert sat next to basketball legend Dirk Nowitzki and cheered on the German team - unfortunately, to no avail.
Germany could count on Nyara Sabally against the hosts again. The 24-year-old from WNBA club New York Liberty had missed the other two games in Lille due to a mild concussion sustained in the opening game against Belgium. The younger Sabally sister played aggressively and achieved a double-double with double-digit figures in points and rebounds.
Peterson fills long-standing vacancy
Alexis Peterson initially set the pace. The US-born point guard, naturalized just before the Olympics, was eager for the duel with the hosts and scored nine of the first eleven German points. With the 29-year-old, the team seems to have found a good solution to the long-standing problem at the point guard position.
Germany's star player Satou Sabally, however, had a hard time from the start. The 26-year-old from WNBA club Dallas Wings was aggressively defended by the French and made four quick turnovers. Sabally had injured her shoulder at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Brazil in February and had to take a long break after surgery. Her lack of playing time was noticeable throughout the Olympic tournament - especially on Wednesday.
France was simply too strong
After the first quarter, the German team was four points behind, but the gap grew to 33:45 by halftime. Satou Sabally, who was supposed to be the key player in this game, had only two points and six easy turnovers after two quarters.
Trainer Thomaidis repeatedly tried to motivate Sabally from the bench. However, the best German player was simply having an off day. While the German team never gave up, France was just too strong that evening.
Sabally expressed her disappointment after the loss, stating, "I wish I could have contributed more to the team in our last game." Despite the defeat, she remained optimistic about the future of German basketball, adding, "We have a strong team and I believe in our potential to grow even further."
