Germany was in the spotlight as they made their first appearance on the grand stage of the Olympics, facing off against the reigning EuroBasket champs, Belgium. And Germany didn’t disappoint as they pulled off a stunner securing an 83-69 victory. Of course, this would be a historic moment for them, but what happened that their excitement was tempered by concern? It seemed like a tough blow for the team and their supporters when the New York Liberty star couldn’t walk on her own.

No team would like to start their campaign with one of their star players walking off the court with an injury, leaving everyone wondering about the impact on their journey ahead. And that’s what the German team had to experience when Nyara Sabally was helped off the court.

Before her heavy fall forced her to leave the court, she was delivering a decent performance alongside her sister, Satou Sabally. She was leading the charge for Germany, with 16 points and 6-of-7 field goals while grabbing 5 rebounds. That performance was an utter reflection of her words. 

Before the Olympics, Nyara Sabally was all smiles. “We’re just there to have fun. It’s basketball, you never know what’s going to happen. I’m really confident in our team and I think we have a really good team,” Sabally said in an interview before the Olympics.

With her injury, the question remains whether she will be back for the next game against Japan on August 1st. Sabally’s injury was a downside but one can’t deny that Germany made history today, and it wasn’t just about one player. Let’s throw some light on the team’s overall performance.

Germany’s performance at the Olympics

Everyone was talking about how big and strong Germany was inside the paint but it was their outside shooting that stole the show. While Germany knocked down 8 out of 16 three-pointers, Belgium could only manage 5 out of 18. And this impressive performance wasn’t the result of just one standout player. Germany had five players each scoring over 10 points. Adding to the excitement, Satou Sabally perfectly complemented her sister Nyara by scoring 17 points. The other players on that 10-plus points list included Alexis Peterson (15), Leonie Fiebich (16), and Frieda Buhner (11).

The importance of the victory was well reflected in Germany’s head coach’s statement. Lisa Thomaidis said, “We are making history and I am just incredibly impressed of this group. I thought they played with a lot of courage for their first ever game at the Olympics and against Belgium, the European champions. They are an incredible team. We knew we would have to be at our best and we were certainly near our best today. Our players are fierce competitors.” 

The uncertainty about Nyara’s future involvement in the event might be concerning for Germany. But with stellar performances across the board, they proved their Olympic debut was one for the books and they are ready for the challenges. Would they be able to keep up the same performance against Team USA after their exhibition game together?

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.