The superior Sabally captured the "death squad" in the storm
For the first time ever, the German women's basketball team is playing at the Olympic Games. Then they are drawn into a group with the European champions, the Olympic champions, and the Olympic runners-up - a tough task. But star player Satou Sabally and co. shine.
Satou Sabally raised her arms in the air and joyfully hugged her teammates after her impressive performance. "Paris, Paris, we're going to Paris," the German basketball players sang at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille. Sabally and co. stormed into the quarterfinals right at their Olympic debut - and that in the brutally tough "group of death."
"Thanks to the whole team. Without the huge support, my performance today wouldn't have been possible. But we're not done yet and have to stay focused. We're in Paris, that makes us incredibly happy," Sabally said after the 75:64 (42:36) win against Japan, the Olympic runners-up from Tokyo 2021.
After the upset win against European champions Belgium in the opener, the women followed the world champions led by captain and flag bearer Dennis Schröder with their victory against the Asians into the knockout round - both teams can now travel together to the French capital.
Star player Sabally led the EM sixth, who were missing her sister Nyara due to a concussion, with 33 points as the top scorer. This way, she equaled her best performance in the national team jersey. Sabally was almost flawless, also converting all eight free throws.
Now it's against the record Olympic champions
Before the third and final group game against record Olympic champions USA on Sunday (5:15 PM), Sabally and co. can already celebrate the biggest success of German women's basketball since the EM bronze in 1997. Against the gold favorites, it's now about getting a good starting position for the round of the last eight teams on the following Wednesday.
Three days after the jubilant and surprising 83:69 opening win against the Belgians, Marie Gülich replaced the injured Nyara Sabally in the starting five. After a shaky start by the Germans, they saw how her sister Satou took over and scored nine points in the first five minutes of the game.
The Japanese stayed in the game because the Germans allowed them too many open threes in the second quarter. But Sabally fought back. The 26-year-old, who scored 23 (!) points in the first half alone, was hardly stoppable by the Asians in this phase and secured the lead at halftime.
After the restart, the Germans had problems with the accurate Maki Takada, who equalized at 44:44. Moreover, Sabally picked up her third foul early on, which forced her to the bench. But the DBB team held its own without their best player.
In the final quarter, Sabally returned to the court, but the German offense struggled. In an increasingly chaotic game, the team of head coach Lisa Thomaidis scored mainly from the free throw line - and secured the surprising victory and the ticket to Paris.
Sabally's impressive performance against Japan, the Olympic runners-up, further showcased her skills in basketball. The German women's team, including Sabally, is now preparing for their next challenge against the record Olympic champions.
