🚴🏻‍♀️🧠🎙 Jess Schwartz DPT, CSCS 👩🏻‍⚕️🗽🎾

🧠💥 Satou Sabally WNBA FINALS MEDICAL COMMENTARY: SIDELINE CARE MATTERS 🚑 During today’s WNBA Finals, forward Satou Sabally sustained a serious injury to her head and neck that was rotational and compressive in nature coupled with a direct hit to one of the most vulnerable areas of the skull, the temple. This type of mechanism raises concern for both concussion and potential cervical spine involvement, including spinal cord compression or cervical cord neuropraxia. When an athlete experiences a possible head and neck injury, lifting or moving them manually without stabilizing the neck can cause serious secondary injury. Here’s what should happen: ✅ Stop play immediately and assess airway, breathing, and circulation. ✅ Keep the neck stabilized and avoid any movement until spinal injury is ruled out. ✅ Activate EMS if there is neck pain, numbness, or any loss of movement. ✅ Follow the SCAT6 and NATA emergency action plans for concussion and spine trauma. What we saw today is a reminder that concussion and spinal injury protocols are not just medical checklists, they are lifesaving procedures designed to protect athletes’ futures both on and off the court. As clinicians and advocates, we MUST continue to push for evidence-based sideline care and accountability in professional sports. It’s not just the diminishing calls of the refs this season, we must make sure our sideline teams are also at peak performance for our top athletes in the world. Prayers to the Sabally sisters and their family tonight. Here’s to a speedy recovery and comprehensive medial care for Satou tonight 🙏 If you have any questions, please comment below or reach out to [email protected] for press inquiries